The Gathering Of Israel

by R. Armstrong, Toronto | Category: The Finger Of Prophecy | Jun 1970

The return of the Jews to the land of Israel since the beginning of this century is no doubt the beginning of the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies. Israel will be gathered home to the land God gave them by covenant promise to Abraham over 4000 years ago. Some remarkable events within our lifetime have, we believe, been preparatory to the final gathering home of this most remarkable of all people, who have survived the persecution of centuries. The present movement back to their national home signals the beginning of the end of "the times of the Gentiles".

Israel dispersed

In the illustrious reign of King Solomon of Israel, for a period of 40 years, the nation reached the zenith of its power, glory, and wealth. Its fame spread across the known world, and kings brought their wealth and treasures as tribute to that great monarch (2 Chronicles 9.22-24). Through disobedience to the laws of God, idolatry and immorality set in, and eventually both the religious and national life of the nation were destroyed. God gave them into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and thus was fulfilled the prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 9.11,16. A great people, whose high destiny was to disseminate the truth of God and His righteousness amongst the nations, themselves fell prey to the crippling effects of sin and departure from God. Even though there were a few bright revival years when the returning remnant came up from Babylon to rebuild the waste places of Jerusalem, Israel never again reached the zenith of the glorious days of Solomon.

Since their rejection of Messiah it has been true, as the Lord Jesus predicted, "They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21.24). Since their cries of hatred echoed across Pilate's judgement hall on the fateful day of Christ's crucifixion, Israel has been paying the awful price of that choice, "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matthew 27.25).

Israel's survival

One has written, "Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of. Yet he is as prominent on this planet as any other people.... His contributions to the world's lists of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and learning are out of all proportion to the smallness of his bulk.... The Egyptian, the Babylonian and the Persian arose, filled the planet with sound and splendour, then faded and passed away. The Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise and are gone. Other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out and they sit in silence now, or have vanished". But the Jew remains. What is the secret? The answer is in the word of God. We commend the reading of Romans 9.4,5 which shows the purpose of God in Israel, and Romans 11.25-27 which describes the future God has in store for them.

Throughout the centuries Israel has been preserved from extinction, and exists today, strong, virile, industrious, and in spite of the threats of the giant powers surrounding their tiny land, moves steadily toward their date with destiny. Can we see the hand of God in this? Surely we can, and the time is not far away when the prophecy will be fulfilled, "I will... gather her that is driven away, and her that I have afflicted; and I will make her ... that was cast far off a strong nation" (Micah 4.6,7).

Israel restored

Figuratively speaking, God stopped the pendulum of the prophetic clock as far as the nation of Israel was concerned when their Messiah was crucified. The death of Christ marked the termination of the 69 weeks (of years) of the 70 weeks prophesied by Daniel (chapter 9.24-26). After the Church the Body of Christ has been taken up to heaven, then the events of Daniel's 70th week (7 years) will be fulfilled. The question is asked in Romans 11,verse 1, "Did God cast off His people?" The answer comes back, "God did not cast off His people which He foreknew" (verse 2). Romans 11 gives three significant developments in God's dealings with Israel: (1) relative to the present dispensation of grace, Paul said of Israel, "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (verse 5); (2) relative to their defection he adds, "Did they stumble that they might fall? God forbid: but by their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (verse 11); and (3) "If their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" ... "if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" (verses 12 and 15). Thus the restoration of Israel is fixed in the purposes of God and will not be altered.

Israel today

We now consider what has happened to the people of Israel and their land in more recent times. Towards the close of the last century Jews began to return to Palestine. For centuries they had been a people without a country. The Zionist movement had its beginning in 1897 with the first International Zionist Conference, which took place in Basle under the presidency of Dr Herzl. The fervent idealism of a Jewish national settlement in Israel which was the theme of his book, "The Jewish State", did much to set Zionism in motion. During Word War 1, a Jew, Dr Chaim Weizmann, who was a professor in chemistry, offered the British Government a secret formula which would greatly speed up the production of much needed munitions in the field of high explosives. The only payment he asked for the release of this discovery, was a national home for the Jews. This led to the famous Balfour Declaration in 1917, giving the Jews a national home in the land already theirs by divine promise. This was a significant step in God's plan to bring Israel back. Are these events representative of God's call to His ancient people to return to the land? We suggest that Ezekiel 37.1 to 14, where we read of the vision of the valley of dry bones, provides an answer to this question. The vision no doubt portrays various stages of the restoration of Israel:

(1)Israel, through the long centuries of unbelief, dead to God (verses 1,2,11).

(2)Israel, today, a nation back in the land, her dry bones covered with sinews, flesh and skin, but with no breath in them (verses 5-8).

(3)Israel, in the future, when the breath of the LORD will cause the bones to live (verses 9-14).

It will not be until the Church the Body of Christ has been taken to heaven, and the Son of Man has come, that Ezekiel 37.9-14 will be fulfilled. This is the same time as we read of in Joel 2.28, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your (Israel's) sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions"

The Exodus from Yemen

We also see the present movement of Jews to Israel in other remarkable prophecies: "Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up: and to the south, Keep not back; bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth" (Isaiah 43.5,6). It is possible that a partial fulfilment of this prophecy took place in 1948 when the exodus of Jews from the land of Yemen began. Jews are said to have settled hundreds of years ago in this tiny country which lies on the south western tip of Arabia. They were originally accepted as immigrants, but in later years became the objects of persecution, and were reduced to second-rate citizens. When the news of Israel's declaration of statehood reached them in 1948, they were jubilant, and many thought the Messiah had come. Their thoughts turned homeward and they longed to go back. The Israeli government commenced an airlift from Aden for any who could get out, and thousands rose up and left what few earthly possessions they had. The great airlift continued, and by 1950 the entire population of 50,000 Jews had left Yemen for Israel. The remarkable fact about this whole project was that the Yemen government made no attempt to stop them. How significant! "I will say to the south, Keep not back". When God moves, no power on earth can stay His hand.

Another remarkable prophecy is, "In that day, saith the LORD, I will assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven away, and her that I have afflicted; and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation" (Micah 4.6,7). Surely this is true of Israel today, as thousands of her sons and daughters come home, back from the long trek of centuries, from the years of adversity and sorrow! Heart-moving scenes have been witnessed as many Jewish refugees, among them old men and women, arrive in Israel, with nothing. They are limping back home to the land, glad to be there, if only t6 share with their brethren the fresh perils of the new nation's struggle against their old enemies. The word "halteth" comes from the Hebrew word "tsela" meaning to limp or fall, or adversity. It is the same word as used in Genesis 32.31 to describe Jacob's physical halt in his step after his encounter with the angel of the LORD at Jabbok. Surely Israel has the mark of God!

The six-day Arab-Israeli war in June 1967 was no doubt a significant step forward in the life of the nation. An astonished world stood by and witnessed the miracle of Israel's victory over tremendous numerical odds. It would be foolish to ignore the fact of divine intervention on behalf of Israel. God brought them victory as in days of old. Great tribulation and sorrow still lie ahead for them, as God deals with them to bring home their guilt in the slaying of their Messiah at Calvary. As God deals in punitive measures with His people, He will not permit any nation to chastise Israel without His permission. The ancient seer said, "For thus saith the LORD of hosts: After glory hath He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye" (Zechariah 2.8), also, chapter 12.3, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it".

The purpose of the gathering of Israel is that God may purify them and restore them to be the head of the nations again, and that they may be the earthly people of God under the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Messiah and King. As events affecting Israel move quickly towards the great time of their final restoration, we shall see the end of Gentile world rule. None can stay the hand of God when He calls His people home, and in preparation for their golden age we read that the Lord Jesus whom they crucified, "shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto the LORD offerings in righteousness" (Malachi 3.3).

R. Armstrong, Toronto | Jun 1970
The Finger Of Prophecy