Israel’s Restoration

Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
May 7, 2011

As we celebrate Israel’s Independence and the unrest in the Middle East, we may be wondering if the current State of Israel is permanent or not.

Amos 9:15, ‘“I will plant them on their own soil, no more to be uprooted from their land, which I gave them," says ADONAI your God.’

At least seven times God promised the Land of Israel to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Genesis.

The current State of Israel is indeed permanent and it is important that the Babylonian exile and return be distinguished from the current global return to Israel.

Isaiah 11:12, ‘He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra'el, and gather the scattered of Y'hudah from the four corners of the earth.’

What about Yeshua’s return? Does He return before Israel’s return to God?

Let’s explore three scenarios.

The first scenario’s order would begin with Israel’s national restoration, followed by Yeshua’s return and culminate with the revelation of Yeshua’s identity and spiritual rebirth of the people of Israel as described in Zechariah 12:10 which says, ‘and I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Yerushalayim a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they pierced." They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son; they will be in bitterness on his behalf like the bitterness for a firstborn son.’

A second scenario would begin with Israel’s national restoration followed by it’s spiritual rebirth and culminate with Yeshua’s return.

Acts 3:18-21, ‘But this is how God fulfilled what he had announced in advance, when he spoke through all the prophets, namely, that his Messiah was to die. 19 "Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased; 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord's presence; and he may send the Messiah appointed in advance for you, that is, Yeshua. 21 He has to remain in heaven until the time comes for restoring everything, as God said long ago, when he spoke through the holy prophets.’

This second scenario is quite plausible because Yeshua Himself said that His return would occur when His Jewish people would clearly be reborn demonstrated by their expression of praise for His return; which is currently occurring in Israel.

Matthew 23:39, ‘“For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI.'"

However, let us consider a third scenario which begins with Israel’s national restoration, followed by their spiritual rebirth in part, and then Yeshua’s return which then results in a full revelation to the entire State of Israel when all Israel will be saved.

Romans 11:25-27, ‘For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra'el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra'el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov 27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins."’

Regardless of the exact timing of God’s revelation to His people, we know He will revive His people demonstrated so vividly in Ezekiel 37.

Ezekiel 37:1-3, ‘With the hand of ADONAI upon me, ADONAI carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He had me pass by all around them - there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry! 3 He asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?" I answered, "Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!"’

In this passage, Ezekiel is literally placed amongst skeletons; they are all around him and there are a multitude of them; withered and without moisture.

Consider at this point that the Lord Himself asked Ezekiel the question, “Human being, can these bones live?”

And Ezekiel answers, “Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!” He wasn’t going to say that is was impossible! No, he knew better and he knew that if the bones were to live, it would be through God and no other way.

What seems absolutely impossible, can be possible through Him! Notice how the Lord brings life into the bones described further in the passage. Through His Word spoken by Ezekiel which is reiterated by the passage in Romans that faith comes from hearing the Word of God.

Romans 10:17, ‘So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.’

Ezekiel 37:4-10, ‘Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, 'Dry bones! Hear what ADONAI has to say! 5 To these bones Adonai ELOHIM says, "I will make breath enter you, and you will live. 6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am ADONAI."'" 7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place. 8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Next he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.'" 10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army!’

From this portion of Scripture, a three-fold phase of spiritual rebirth is illuminated!

When Ezekiel spoke the first prophesy, the bones came together and ligaments grew and flesh appeared; there was life, but no breath indicating a first phase. They were living but without the Ruach. With the second prophesy, the Ruach came into them and they stood on their feet, acknowledged and recognized and then thirdly, they were a vast army.

The Hebrew for ‘vast army’ is written, ‘maod maod chayil gadol’ translated, ‘very very great mighty’. Chayil can mean mighty or growing mightily and ‘chayil’ can also mean anguish. We know that through pain the Lord can bring about something mighty as He is now doing. We are witnessing the Ruach of God entering the hearts of His people and they are beginning to stand!

Further Reading: Ezekiel 37:11-14, Hosea 5:15-6:6, Philippians 3:7-10, Psalm 110:1, Proverbs 30:4, Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8, Isaiah 57:15, John 10:10, Isaiah 64, Psalm 85