Warm hellos friends, brethren, co-workers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God from here on the Gulf Coast. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you doing well, and that again your week has been blessed.
It’s hard to believe that in just a little over 3 weeks we will be observing the Festival of Trumpets and then shortly after we’ll keep the Day of Atonement.
Right now, in the news there is a lot of focus on all ‘the goings on here in the United States’. But world news has not simply disappeared! Few realize how the news media keeps us focused on where they’d like us watching. If we are not prudent, we’ll miss what’s really important for God’s children!
Here at CGM, we receive regular, (mostly e-mail) correspondence on almost a daily basis. Some weeks I seem to always be running behind with responses. What I’ve observed is that end time conditions of the Tribes of Israel continue to be topics of interest to many of you in your correspondence, especially in light of Bible Prophecy. With regards to that, there are many prophecies in Scripture that have a dual application, especially in the application of the principles imbedded in specific prophecies that discuss this focus.
So, here’s a question I’d like to look at. Are there prophecies in the Bible which address the Tribes of Israel in an end of the age or “latter days” context?
Certainly the book of Revelation has an end time context involving the general time of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 1:10). This is the reference to “things which must shortly take place” (v.1) and to “the time is near” (v.3). When one is taken forward into time as John was, the events that are revealed are happening or about to happen.
Revelation 7 records the sealing of “One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (v.4). These tribes exist at that time at the end of the age. Also, it is logical to assume that a warning message has been sent to these people, and at least some individuals in these tribes have responded. Sealing is associated with receiving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; Eph. 4:30) Sealing (or marking) is also associated with setting aside for protection and deliverance to those who have obeyed God (Ezek. 9:1-6; Exod. 13:9).
Many prophecies clearly refer to the Tribes of Israel in an end time context. “And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” (Jeremiah 30:7) The prophet Joel spoke of the time when God will proclaim, “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 (Joel 3:1-2). This and other prophecies indicate that some of those of the tribes of Judah and Joseph will return to the ancient land of Canaan just before Christ descends to the Mount of Olives with His armies. Notice what Jeremiah says.
3 “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 “but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:3-8).
This second exodus of the children of Israel will take place when the Branch (or the Messiah) is preparing to return and then does return to set up His government. Notice the prediction for the prophet Hosea, “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days” (Hos. 3:5)
The prophet Zechariah also predicts the regathering of the Israelites from a condition of scattered captivity. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’ (Zech. 8:7-8)
One more prophecy from Zechariah, “I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them; And they shall increase as they once increased. I will sew them among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return. I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until no more room is found for them.” (Zech. 10:8-11)
I find the principle of “the watchman” in Ezekiel 33 to be one we can identify with. The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom includes both a message with a call to repentance, and the encouragement of God’s mercy and promises for those who turn to Him and change their actions and attitudes. It’s also a genuine sober warning to not take God’s calling and invitation to participate in salvation for granted! And friends, we must also endure to and hope to the end! (Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 3:6)
May the Lord bless the message of His church, and bless those who respond to it. Among those will be some of the tribes of Israel.
Arms up friends! Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Please do pray for us as well.
