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PART
TWO
SOME
CLUES
While
the sequence of prophesied latter-day events seems to be fairly
straightforward - the captivity and scattering of Yisra’ĕl;
the
tribulation of Ya'aqob's Trouble; Yahweh's intervention on behalf of
the remnant of Ya'aqob; the Second Exodus back to the Promised Land;
the reunification of Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah; Yahweh's
restoration
and blessing of His covenant people - the exact timing is unknown.
It is unclear when these events will begin, nor is it entirely
certain how long their aggregate duration will be.
Even so, Yeshayah
27:13
gives a clue regarding when the Second Exodus will begin:
“And
in that day it shall be that a great horn is blown,
and those who were perishing in the land of Ashshur and the outcasts
in the land of Mitsrayim shall come, and shall worship YHWH
on the set-apart mountain, in Yerushalayim.”
The
context is "[the] children of
Yisra’ĕl" being "gathered
one by one" (verse 12).
"They
. . . who are about to
perish" seems to refer to the
peoples of Yisra’ĕl enduring
the time of Ya'aqob's Trouble. The turning point, then, and the
beginning of deliverance, is when "a
great trumpet
will is
blown." The Olivet Prophecy
correlates to this, for Yahushua
Meshiach says,
“And
then the sign of the Son of Adam shall appear in the heaven, and then
all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they
shall see
the Son
of Adam coming
on the
clouds of the heaven with
power and much
esteem. 31
“And He shall send
His
messengers with a great
sound of
a trumpet,
and they shall gather
together
His chosen ones from the four winds,
from one
end of the heavens to the other.”
Matthew
24:31-31
It is clear from
this correlation that Yahushua will lead the remnant back to the land.
The
trumpet is a symbol of considerable consequence in the First and
renewed Covenants. In general, it can signify an alarm of war, a call
to assemble, or a command to march (see Numbers
10:1-10).
The fourth annual Set-apart day is the Feast of Trumpets,
a "memorial
of blowing
of
trumpets, a holy convocation"
(Leviticus
23:24; Numbers 29:1) Psalm
81:3-5
indicates Yoseph was released from prison in Egypt on the Feast of
Trumpets, making for rich symbolism regarding the future release of
Israelite captives. Yahweh, through the prophets, often uses "Yoseph"
to represent, not just Ephraim and Manasseh,
but also all of Yisra’ĕl (see Yehezqel 37:16-10;
Amos 5:6,15; 6:6;
Obadyah 1:18; Zecharyah 10:6).
In addition, Yahweh caused the walls of Yericho to fall after seven
successive days of trumpets sounding (Yehoshua 6:4-20)
Various
end-time prophecies show that a trumpet precedes the Day of the
Yahweh (Yoel
2:1; Zecharyah 9:14-16),
when Yahushua Messiah returns as Sovereign of sovereigns
and overthrows the nations of this world,
establishing the Reign of Yahweh
on earth. The resurrection from the dead
is also connected to a mighty trumpet blast (1
Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians
4:16).
While the book of Revelation
tells of seven trumpets (Revelation
8:2-11:15),
when the last one
sounds, “And
the seventh
messenger sounded, and there
came to be loud voices in
the heaven, saying, “The
reign of this world has become the
reign
of our Master, and of His
Messiah, and He shall reign forever
and
ever!” Revelation 11:15,
indicating He has returned.
This all shows that
the timing of the
Second Exodus in general corresponds to the return of Yahushua.
JUSTICE
AND FAVOUR
After
the peoples of Yisra’ĕl have endured the chastening of
Ya'aqob's
Trouble, they will be liberated and brought back to the land promised
to Abraham, Yitshaq, and Ya'aqob:
“And
it shall be in that day,’ declares YHWH
of hosts, ‘that I break his yoke from your neck, and tear off
your
bonds, and foreigners no more enslave them. 9
‘And they shall serve YHWH
their Elohim and Dawid their sovereign,
whom I raise up for them. 10
‘And you, do not fear, O Yaʽaqob
My servant,’ declares YHWH,
‘nor be discouraged, O Yisra’ĕl. For look, I am
saving you
from
afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Yaʽaqob
shall return, and have rest
and be at
ease, with no one to trouble
him. 11
‘For I am with you,’ declares YHWH,
‘to save you. Though I make a complete end of all gentiles
where I have scattered you, yet I do not make a complete end of you.
But I
shall reprove you in judgment,
and by
no means
leave you
unpunished.” Yirmeyah
30:8-11
In
all of Yahweh's dealings with Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah, and
especially
regarding the Second Exodus, we see His perfect application of
justice and favour. He is just, because He does not allow their sin
to go unpunished. We could not trust Yahweh if He did not hold to His
promises of blessing and cursing (Numbers
23:19; Leviticus 26;
Deuteronomy 28).
If
He allowed
Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah to sin with impunity, His laws
would have no authority, and His words would be of no consequence.
However, for the sake of what is best for Ya'aqob, Yahweh has to show
him that He is serious about what He says. So His justice will be
upheld as Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah are brought to the painful
realization that they have forsaken Him and have been living the
wrong way.
Yet,
we can also see Yahweh's unmerited favour in His dealings with His
people. Today's Western culture - a product of the nations of
Yisra’ĕl - is not so very different from Sodom and Gomorrah.
The
same sins are committed in the same brazen manner. Our regard for
humanity is so low that in the U.S. alone during the last three
decades, an estimated 40-50 million pre-born children have been
killed for the sake of convenience. Further, Yahweh has been
systematically removed from schools, from government, and from public
life. Europe has transgressed even further. Even Yerushalayim - the
"Holy City"- has an annual "Gay
Pride" parade,
and is essentially secular.
Despite
these atrocious sins, Yahweh will not utterly destroy
Yisra’ĕl as
He did to Sedom and Amorah. A number of latter-day prophecies of
various peoples - the Edomites, for example - foretell that Yahweh
will make a complete end of them (Yirmeyah
46:28).
However, He has chosen not to do this with Yisra’ĕl and
Yehudah,
though not because they are righteous in any way.
He
will show them favour because of the promises He made, not because
they deserve it. Yehezqel
36
shows this clearly. Yahweh repeats
several times that He is bringing Yisra’ĕl back for His
name's
sake, and not for Yisra’ĕl's sake:
“Therefore
say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master
YHWH,
“I
do not do this for your sake,
O house of Yisra’ĕl, but for
My
set-apart Name’s sake,
which you have profaned among the
gentiles
wherever you went. 23
“And I shall set apart My great Name, which has been profaned
among
the gentiles, which you have profaned in their midst. And the
gentiles shall know that I am YHWH,”
declares the Master YHWH,
“when I am set-apart in you before their eyes. 24
“And I shall take you from among the gentiles, and I shall gather
you out of all lands, and I
shall bring you into your own
land... 31
“And you shall remember your evil ways and your deeds that
were
not
good. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own eyes, for your
crookednesses and your abominations. 32
“Not
for your sake am I acting,”
declares the Master YHWH,
“let it be known to you. Be ashamed and blush for your ways,
O
house of Yisra’ĕl!”
Yehezqel
36:22-24,
31-32
Yahweh
would be untrue to His own promises if He annihilated Ya'aqob's
descendants—even though, by all accounts, it is exactly what
they
deserve.
PEACE
AND PROSPERITY
After
Ya'aqob is chastened, Yahweh will demonstrate His favour and
providence:
“Thus
said YHWH,
‘See, I
turn back the
captivity of Yaʽaqob’s
tents, and have
compassion on his dwelling
places. And the city shall
be built upon its own mound, and the palace stand on its right place. 19
‘And out of them shall arise thanksgiving and the voice of
those
who are laughing. And I shall increase
them,
and they shall not
diminish. And I shall esteem
them,
and they shall not be small. 20
‘And his children shall be as before, and his congregation
shall
be
established before Me. And I shall punish all who oppress
them.” Yirmeyah
30:18-20
Yahweh
will destroy the nations to which Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah are
scattered, and He will correct Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah in
measure,
as verse
11 says. But when the
punishment is done, He will bring
His people back to the land that He promised them and give them rest
and peace. A number of other prophecies concerning the Second Exodus
relate how Yahweh will bless the land, which will once again produce
abundantly. Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah will have the Promised Land,
they
will have peace - because this time their enemies will be completely
destroyed, which Yisra’ĕl failed to do the first time - and
they
will have prosperity. They will also be blessed numerically, as the
remnant begins to multiply.
But
this time the peace and prosperity will last, because two factors
will be different. First, Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah will have
perfect
leadership:
Yahushua Meshiach will be Sovereign, and Dawid will be His prince (Yehezqel
37:24-25;
Yirmeyah 23:3-7; Hoshea 3:5; Mikah 2:12-13).
Corrupt or ambivalent leadership will no longer lead Yisra’ĕl
astray; instead, the leaders will set the example of righteousness
for the people to follow. Additionally, the twelve original apostles
will be resurrected and sit as judges over the twelve tribes,
ensuring that proper judgment is given (Matthew
19:28;
Luke 22:30).
Second,
Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah will both make the New Covenant, meaning
that
they will be given the Ruach haQodesh,
which will enable them to keep the law in its spiritual intent
(Yirmeyah
31:31-34).
They will be given a new heart, and will finally be able to know
their Yahweh (Yehezqel
11:17-20;
36:24-29).
PEACE
ON YAHWEH'S TERMS
Lest
the grievous reality of Ya'aqob's Trouble stray too far from his
reader's mind, Yirmeyah again cites the coming judgment for sin:
“See,
the storm of YHWH
shall go forth in a rage, a whirling storm! It bursts upon the head
of the wrong. 24
The burning displeasure of YHWH
shall not turn back until He has done and established the purposes of
His heart. In the latter days you shall understand it.” Yirmeyah
30:23-24
These
verses actually repeat Yirmeyah
23:19-20
almost word for word. This repetition is significant because Yirmeyah
23
is a warning against
false prophets. In
particular, it is about men, claiming to speak for Yahweh, who tell
the people - whose lives deny Yahweh - that, "Yahweh has said,
'You shall have peace.'"
These prophets say to the people, who
were walking according to the dictates of their own hearts, "No
evil will come upon you." In
essence, they deny Yahweh's
justice, and the fact that sin has consequences. They are telling the
people not to worry about Yahweh's judgment upon them - everything
would be fine; no change of course would be necessary.
However,
the people, in reality, have declared war on Yahweh and His way of
life through the conduct of their own lives. Whether or not they
realize it, their carnal minds hold great enmity for Yahweh's way of
doing things. They can never have peace with Yahweh until they repent
and change.
Yahweh
always desires peace, but if the sinning party is unwilling to face
reality and repent, then His response will be a painful one. There
will be peace with Yahweh only when the sinner is broken and submits
to Yahweh. Yet, the false prophets insinuate that Yahweh does not
care and that it does not matter how one lives. Nevertheless, these
verses show that Yahweh destroys those who promote the idea that sin
does not have consequences, who say Yahweh's justice is of little
concern. These ideas keep getting Yisra’ĕl - indeed, all of
mankind - into trouble.
The
symbol of the whirlwind, then, represents Yahweh's fury and anger.
Just as no man can control or divert a tornado or hurricane, so
Yahweh's anger at the sin of the wicked cannot be resisted. It will
continue until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the
latter days, which we are in, Yahweh says we will consider it,
meaning that Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah have not yet learned this
lesson. However, when that chastening is over, Yisra’ĕl and
Yehudah will be restored to the land, and, more importantly, they
will be reconciled to Yahweh and able to live in peace.
A
GOOD ENDING
Yirmeyah
31 continues chapter 30,
and it contains the proverbial
"good ending" as a humbled Yisra’ĕl and Yehudah are
reconciled to Yahweh, who blesses them physically and spiritually:
“At
that time,” declares YHWH,
“I shall be the Elohim of all the clans of
Yisra’ĕl, and
they
shall be My people.” 2
Thus said YHWH,
“A people escaped from the sword found favour in the
wilderness,
Yisra’ĕl, when it went to find rest.” 3 YHWH
appeared to me from afar, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I shall
draw
you with kindness. 4
“I am going to build you again. And you shall be rebuilt, O
maiden
of Yisra’ĕl! Again you shall take up your tambourines, and go
forth in the dances of those who rejoice. 5
“Again you shall plant vines on the mountains of Shomeron.
The
planters shall plant and treat them as common.” Yirmeyah 31:1-5
After
Yahweh performs the intents of His heart, as it says at the end of
the previous chapter, and His wrath has consumed those He will
consume, then peace in the relationship between Yisra’ĕl and
Yahweh becomes possible because all of those who declared war on
Yahweh through their conduct are dead. Yahweh does not believe in
"peace at any price." He works toward
repentance,
but if
there is no repentance, the only solution is to destroy those in
rebellion against Him. Yet, after the destruction, He promises once
again to be the Elohim of all of Yisra’ĕl, and
Yisra’ĕl
will
again be His people.
Verse
2 provides
the qualifier that the remnant will be those who have survived the
sword. Yehezqel
5:1-4
illustrates this time:
“And
you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s
razor,
and you shall pass it over your head and your beard. And you shall
take scales to weigh and divide the hair. 2
“Burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city when the
days
of
the siege are completed. And you shall take one-third and strike
around it with the sword, and scatter one-third in the wind. And I
shall draw out a sword after them.
3
“And you shall take a few hairs
from there and bind them in the edge of your garment. 4
“And take again some of them, and throw them into the midst
of
the
fire, and burn
them in the fire. From it a
fire shall
spread unto all
the house of Yisra’ĕl.”
From
these verses and the remainder of Yehezqel
5,
it is evident that a great deal of violence will be done to the
peoples of Yisra’ĕl, but when it is over, Yahweh will give
them
rest (Yirmeyah
31:2).
The people who survive the sword will find favour. Yahweh begins to
demonstrate His loving kindness and to rebuild and restore
Yisra’ĕl. Yirmeyah
31:4
contains
the imagery of a festive occasion with dancing, something that the
Israelites probably will not have felt like doing for quite some
time. There will be food in abundance, and the time of famine will be
over (verse
5).
On all counts, Yisra’ĕl's outlook is brightening.
“For
thus said YHWH,
“Sing with gladness for Yaʽaqob,
and shout among the chief of the nations. Cry out, give praise, and
say, ‘O YHWH,
save Your people, the remnant of Yisra’ĕl!’ 8
“See, I am bringing them from the land of the north, and
shall gather
them
from the ends of the earth,
among them the blind and the
lame, those with child and those in labour, together – a
great
assembly returning here. 9
“With weeping they shall come, and with their
prayers I bring them. I shall make them walk by rivers of waters, in
a straight way in which they do not stumble. For I shall be a Father
to Yisra’ĕl,
and Ephrayim – he
is My first-born. 10
“Hear the word of YHWH,
O gentiles, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
‘He
who
scattered Yisra’ĕl gathers him, and shall guard him as a
shepherd
his flock.’ 11
“For YHWH
shall ransom Yaʽaqob,
and redeem
him from the hand of one
stronger than he.” Yirmeyah
31:7-11
By
the time these verses are fulfilled, something critical has happened.
We do not know exactly how or when, but this passage hints that the
peoples of Yisra’ĕl once again know who they are. They no
longer
believe themselves to be Gentiles. Israelites understand that they
are Yahweh's people, and this is cause for "singing with
gladness" and giving praise.
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