| Highlights of Dawn | May 1967 |
The Promised Land
NO SINGLE word or phrase can adequately describe the chaotic and distressing conditions that prevail throughout the earth today. No matter what segment of society we look at we find turmoil, suffering, uncertainty, and fear. We have the United Nations organization, but the nations have never been less united. This is particularly true of the newer and smaller nations of earth, such as those in Africa and Asia. There is undoubtedly a desire for peace on the part of all nations, but each nation, large or small, wants peace on its own terms.
Financially, the world is in desperate straits. National debts are growing larger everywhere, with no end of increasing debt in sight. The United States is feverishly endeavoring to hold the world up and together by loans and gifts of money, and at the same time to finance the extremely costly war in Viet Nam, put a man on the moon, and fight the war against poverty. The cost of each of these projects runs into billions of dollars each year.
As a part of the general picture of chaos and madness, the crime rate is increasing, juvenile delinquency is rampant, and dishonesty in high places both in business and in government becomes increasingly shocking. But in all of these evidences of the world’s fatal sickness there is a bright star of hope—one development which, while slow and hazardous, nevertheless is on the positive side in betokening the approach of a new and better day for all mankind. It is Israel and the accomplishments in the Promised Land by the people of Israel.
God’s dealings with his ancient people Israel serve as a key to unlock many of the Bible’s prophecies. This is particularly true today because we can look back through past centuries and note the wonderful manner in which the prophecies of the Bible concerning this people have been fulfilled, and are still being fulfilled. This knowledge serves well as a sort of field glass, through which it is possible to see the future more clearly as the plan of God continues to develop.
Four thousand years ago God promised Abraham, the Father of the Jewish people, that he would give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and in this promise God included the “seed” or descendants of Abraham. The Lord said to him, “I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”—Gen 17:8
Abraham himself never did possess the Promised Land, although he will come into his promised inheritance in the resurrection. Hundreds of years after God’s promise to Abraham, his descendants, under the leadership of Joshua, did enter the land of Canaan. But even before they crossed over Jordan into the land, Moses foretold that because of their evil-doing they would not be permitted to remain, but would be scattered among all nations, although finally they would be restored to the land. Moses said, “The Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence he will fetch thee: and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.”—Deut. 30:3-5
Captivity in Babylon
Beginning with 606 B.C. the Israelites experienced captivity in Babylon for a period of seventy years, but at the end of the seventy years were permitted to return to the Promised Land. While this return from captivity in Babylon was foretold by God’s prophets, their prophecies relating to it should not be confused with those which pertain to their return, thousands of years later, from a world-wide scattering.
Moses, as we have noted, was the first of God’s prophets to forecast this final regathering of Israel. Later God used other prophets to confirm Moses’ prophecy. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, … and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.” One would suppose that this would be a time of great rejoicing for the Jewish people and ultimately it will be; but Jeremiah indicated that first much trouble would be involved. He wrote, “For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. … 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. 30:3-7
How great thus far have been the difficulties of Israel in connection with the regathering of the people to the Promised Land! And even now the little State of Israel is ringed by enemies whose avowed purpose is to destroy this new nation and drive the Israelites from the land. As the prophet foretold, this ancient people of God have indeed “heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.” While we should not endeavor to interpret the details of prophecy in advance, there seems a likelihood that much more trouble and cause for fear is in store for the Israelites before the Lord fulfils his promise to deliver them from their enemies.
Further Details
Various details of Israel’s experiences during this regathering period are foretold in the Scriptures. This gives us the assurance that what we see taking place among and on behalf of this people is indeed in fulfilment of the prophecies concerning their return to the Promised Land. For example, through the Prophet Joel the Lord said, “In those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.”—Joel 3:1,2
In verses 9 to 14 of this chapter there is foretold a warlike gathering of the Gentile nations, in which the “valley of Jehoshaphat” is described as “the valley of decision.” In this gathering of the nations there is a preparation for war, in which, symbolically speaking, the nations are said to beat their “plowshares into swords, and … pruninghooks into spears.” The present generation has witnessed this warlike gathering of the nations, and has seen in almost unbelievable magnitude the resources of the earth, provided by God for the sustenance of the people, converted by the nations into munitions of war.
Equally striking in this prophecy is its mention of the fact that the Lord would have a “controversy” with the Gentiles in connection with his people and their land. Mention is also made of the division of the land. The land has been divided so that the Israelites today are in control of only a portion of the area originally promised to Abraham. While we do not know how this will be brought about, it is reasonable to suppose that as the regathering continues, the Israelites will come into possession of all the Promised Land.
Another prophecy which indicates much trouble for the Jewish people during the period of their restoration in the Promised Land is found in Ezekiel 20:33-37. We quote: “As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out 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 wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people.”
Surely there has been much “fury” manifested thus far in connection with the efforts of the Israelites to migrate from the various countries in which they have been domiciled, and to make a new home for themselves in Palestine. And, as predicted, even those who are in Palestine are in “the wilderness of the people,” in the sense that they share with all people of the earth the distress and uncertainty of this chaotic time in human history. They have not yet found peace and security.
God’s Rulership
Following the death of King Saul of Israel, God established his rulership over the Israelites through King David, and the descendants of David became God’s ruling house over that nation. In his old age David abdicated the throne in favor of his son Solomon. Concerning this we read, “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.”—I Chron. 29:23
This rulership of the Lord over Israel, through David and his successors, came to an end in 606 B.C., when their last king, Zedekiah, was overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar, and the people taken captive to Babylon. While the Israelites were released from that captivity they did not regain their national independence. However, although the royal house of David was overthrown, it was not destroyed, as we learn through the Prophet Ezekiel. Concerning Zedekiah, Ezekiel wrote, “Thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”—Ezek. 21:27
This prophecy indicates that the royal right to rule which was vested in the house of David would in the future be given to the One to whom it actually. belonged, who, the Scriptures indicate, is none other than Jesus Christ. That is why Gabriel, in announcing to Mary the coming birth of Jesus, explained that he would sit upon the throne of David his Father.—Luke 1:32,33
With the overthrow of Zedekiah, the house of David became inactive and disestablished and was to remain so until the time came in the plan of God for it to be taken over by Jesus. The Prophet Isaiah wrote about this: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder … Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”—Isa. 9:6-7
Jesus did not ascend the throne of David at his first advent. This development in the plan of God was to take place at his second advent, when he returned to establish his kingdom. We believe that even now we are living in the days of his second presence, and that this accounts for the language used in the prophecy quoted previously, in which the Lord says concerning the Israelites, “With fury poured out, will I rule [Heb., ‘reign’] over you.” In ancient times God ruled over Israel through David, Solomon, and others, but now his rulership is through his Anointed Son, King Jesus. And one of the first purposes of that rule is to gather his people from the nations and to establish them in the Land of Promise. And, as we have seen, there has been much “fury” connected with this divine intervention on behalf of the Hebrew people.
Regathering and the Kingdom
Through the Prophet Jeremiah the Lord gives us another prophecy relating to the regathering of Israel, showing that this great event in the divine plan was due to take place in connection with the inauguration of the messianic kingdom. We quote:
“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them [a possible reference to the Ancient Worthies, the ‘princes in all the earth’], which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”—Jer. 23:3-8
This prophecy also identifies Jesus, the righteous Branch of David, as being associated with the regathering of Israel to their land. But here we are taken a little further into this development, to a time when the Israelites no longer fear, and when they are at peace. We are assured also that ultimately Israel will be saved. Paul’s treatise on the point says concerning the time of Israel’s rehabilitation that then, “All Israel shall be saved.” (Rom. 11:26) Paul explains that the Deliverer of Israel shall “come out of Sion.”
This is the great objective in the restoration of Israel to the Land of Promise. It is the messianic kingdom objective, and the rich blessings of that kingdom will be offered first to Israel, and quickly the opportunity to receive the blessings will reach out to all mankind. Therefore, our interest in what is now taking place in the ancient Holy Land is in the fact that it is one of the evidences that the long-promised blessings of Christ’s kingdom will soon be reaching the people.