The Future Restoration Of Israel - Part 2 - Scriptures In Isaiah Series

THE FUTURE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL - PART 2 - SCRIPTURES IN ISAIAH

{{Isaiah 10:20-23 “Now it will come about in that day that the REMNANT of Israel and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. Isa 10:21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God, Isa 10:22 for though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. Isa 10:23 A complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.”}}

For some who don’t delve deep enough, they say this passage does not apply to the restoration of Israel, but they are wrong. They want to make it fit the time of Nebuchadnezzar and then the return from captivity. Let us examine it. There is a very crucial expression in verse 20 that is used by Major and Minor Prophets uniformly to place the prophecy in context. It is “IN THAT DAY”, and in fact is used 7 time in Zechariah 14. The expression ALWAYS RELATES TO ISRAEL, and ALWAYS places the setting in the Tribulation mostly right at the end, or in the Millennial Kingdom.

Verse 20 therefore is future and is the restoration of Israel right at the start of the Millennium. Only a remnant are saved or have escaped (cf Isaiah 4:3 earlier). How can we be so certain that this time setting is correct? Firstly, “in that day” seals it, and secondly, the verse is clear that from that time onwards, Israel will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. They will be forever faithful. That has NEVER happened, but will happen in the Millennium. Just in case a distracted reader missed the import of verse 20, the fact is repeated in the next verse, {{“A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God,”}} a great and glorious fact when the true seed of Abraham inherits the great promises given to their forefather.

Verse 22 is most interesting. It sadly tells us that even though the descendants of Abraham be as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will return, that is, be saved. I find that sad, but I dare say the saved remnant of the Jews is higher percentage-wise than the saved remnant of the Gentiles. God has always left for Himself a remnant and it may have been small in Elijah’s time, but the remnant is always there.

Let us look at this expression, “sand of the sea” or seashore. It goes back to this – {{Genesis 22:17 “indeed, I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.”}} Later on Jacob cited this also when he was afraid Esau might do him in, and reminded God of His promise – {{Genesis 32:12 “for You did say, ‘I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude.”}} Jacob rightly took half of the expression God gave his grandfather – the sand part, because he was applying it to the Jews which is correct. The other part, “I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens,” does not apply to the Jews. In other words, Abraham has two seeds, one which is Israel, and the other being the Church. Jews are God’s EARTHLY people, hence the sand, but the Christians are a HEAVENLY people, thus the stars. We, and the Jews, are Abraham's seed THROUGH FAITH. It was faith in Gen 22 that evoked this great promise God gave Abraham to cover all believers (those who exercise faith).

Still in verse 22, it says this, “A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.” We know this righteousness overflows out of destruction so the setting is easy to pinpoint. The universal righteousness we have been considering earlier, follows the Battle of Armageddon where God’s destruction is on the armies of EVERY nation who sent their contingent to Israel to exterminate God’s people ({{Zechariah 14:2 “for I WILL GATHER ALL THE NATIONS AGAINST JERUSALEM to battle; Zech 12:3 “and it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will be severely injured, and ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH will be gathered against it.”}})

The Tribulation Jews pass through horrible times but when their great Deliverer causes destruction on all military forces at Armageddon, He then comforts them with His righteousness and never again will they turn from the Lord. Amen!