Thu, Jun 18, 2009
Reggie,Thanks for your message about Assyria, Egypt and Israel. I’d just like to point out that Is 11:11ff goes into even more detail about what will be and Zech 10:10 even tells us where at least some of the returning remnant from Assyria will live. I personally believe He’s talking about Kurdistan which is where the original 10 North tribes were exiled to. I could go into a lot of detail about the history of that region, but suffice it to say that some of the cruelest tyrants in history have desired to annihilate those people completely.
And they’re alive and well by the hand of the Almighty alone because everyone else has broken covenant with them for generations. Pretty good company to be with in my opinion.
Notice that according to the setting and contexts of the passages you mention (see also Isa 27:13 with so many others that could be cited), the return in view is not the progressive return of recent decades, but a future return that will be final and complete, inclusive of every surviving Jew to the last man (see Ezek 39:28). This return is clearly an event that takes place AFTER the great day of the Lord, which occurs in conjunction with Israel’s post-tribulational deliverance from the Antichrist.
Now what I find interesting is that most of these lands have already seen the near evacuation of their local Jewish populations due to an inhospitable Islamic environment. In view of the contemporary circumstance, we should have to infer that the Jews returning from these countries have only recently fled there in a desperate effort to escape the devastations of the Antichrist. We know that the Antichrist siege of Jerusalem lasts 42 months (Dan 11:31-45; 12:11; Rev 11:2; 13:5). It is clear that his fury against the Jews will be concentrated first on those living in the Land before his persecuting policies can be extended and implemented in other countries, some that are not even conquered till later in the tribulation (e.g., Dan 11:42).
Far from being the “Ark of Safety” (a term used by many to encourage the present ‘Aliyah’), the Land will be the first target and greatest concentration of Antichrist fury. We have this burden that it is critical that believers in the Land today understand that Jewish survival will depend on escape into surrounding wilderness locations (Isa 26:20; Dan 11:41; Mt 24:16). This message will have a direct bearing on the physical survival of the elect remnant of Israel. It is the responsibility of a prophetically instructed church (Dan 11:33) that has taken seriously the Lord’s command to pay attention to Daniel (“Let the reader understand”, Mt 24:15). Ultimately, it will be seen that many were saved alive through the words of Jesus directing His disciples (the church) to pay attention to Daniel. To Him be all the glory that a people were alerted and prepared to direct Jews not only to the urgency of flight, but also to the testimony of Jesus (“the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” Rev 19:10).
Reggie
