{"id":45543,"date":"2021-02-24T00:00:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T21:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=45543"},"modified":"2025-05-12T02:54:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T23:54:27","slug":"returning-to-israel-today-is-more-difficult-than-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2021\/02\/24\/returning-to-israel-today-is-more-difficult-than-before\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning to Israel Today Is More Difficult Than Before"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Isaiah <\/span>10:<\/span>22 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>For <\/span>though <\/span>your <\/span>people <\/span>Israel <\/span>be <\/span>as <\/span>the <\/span>sand <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>sea, <\/span>only <\/span>a <\/span>remnant <\/span>of <\/span>them <\/span>will <\/span>return. <\/span>Destruction <\/span>is <\/span>decreed, <\/span>overflowing <\/span>with <\/span>righteousness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In <\/span>the <\/span>past, <\/span>when <\/span>Israel <\/span>was <\/span>taken <\/span>into <\/span>captivity\u2014<\/span>whether <\/span>in <\/span>Egypt <\/span>or <\/span>Babylon\u2014<\/span>the <\/span>people <\/span>assumed <\/span>that <\/span>returning <\/span>to <\/span>their <\/span>land <\/span>would <\/span>always <\/span>follow <\/span>the <\/span>same <\/span>pattern: <\/span>a <\/span>mighty <\/span>deliverance <\/span>through <\/span>a <\/span>chosen <\/span>prophet <\/span>like <\/span>Moses. <\/span>They <\/span>expected <\/span>that <\/span>God <\/span>would <\/span>again <\/span>miraculously <\/span>intervene, <\/span>restore <\/span>the <\/span>entire <\/span>nation, <\/span>and <\/span>bring <\/span>them <\/span>back <\/span>home <\/span>in <\/span>full.<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>God’s <\/span>plan <\/span>changed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through <\/span>His <\/span>prophets, <\/span>He <\/span>warned <\/span>them <\/span>that <\/span>future <\/span>restorations <\/span>would <\/span>not <\/span>mirror <\/span>the <\/span>past. <\/span>He <\/span>patiently <\/span>called <\/span>them <\/span>to <\/span>repentance, <\/span>urging <\/span>them <\/span>to <\/span>abandon <\/span>their <\/span>wicked <\/span>ways. <\/span>Yet <\/span>they <\/span>refused. <\/span>Instead <\/span>of <\/span>listening <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>warnings, <\/span>they <\/span>persecuted <\/span>the <\/span>messengers\u2014<\/span>some <\/span>were <\/span>beaten, <\/span>others <\/span>killed (<\/span>cf. <\/span>2 <\/span>Chronicles <\/span>36:<\/span>15\u2013<\/span>16<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>Matthew <\/span>23:<\/span>37<\/span><\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, <\/span>judgment <\/span>came. <\/span>The <\/span>ten <\/span>northern <\/span>tribes <\/span>of <\/span>Israel <\/span>were <\/span>exiled <\/span>by <\/span>Assyria (<\/span>2 <\/span>Kings <\/span>17), <\/span>and <\/span>to <\/span>this <\/span>day, <\/span>they <\/span>have <\/span>not <\/span>returned. <\/span>They <\/span>assimilated <\/span>into <\/span>the <\/span>nations <\/span>and <\/span>disappeared <\/span>from <\/span>the <\/span>historical <\/span>record\u2014<\/span>known <\/span>commonly <\/span>as <\/span>the “<\/span>Lost <\/span>Tribes <\/span>of <\/span>Israel.” <\/span>Later, <\/span>the <\/span>southern <\/span>kingdom <\/span>of <\/span>Judah <\/span>was <\/span>taken <\/span>captive <\/span>to <\/span>Babylon <\/span>by <\/span>King <\/span>Nebuchadnezzar (<\/span>2 <\/span>Kings <\/span>25). <\/span>Even <\/span>though <\/span>Judah <\/span>was <\/span>numerous, <\/span>only <\/span>a <\/span>small <\/span>remnant <\/span>returned <\/span>after <\/span>70 <\/span>years (<\/span>Ezra <\/span>1\u2013<\/span>2).<\/span><\/p>\n

This <\/span>remnant <\/span>was <\/span>preserved <\/span>not <\/span>because <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>righteousness <\/span>but <\/span>because <\/span>of <\/span>God\u2019s <\/span>mercy\u2014<\/span>to <\/span>maintain <\/span>the <\/span>lineage <\/span>leading <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>Messiah. <\/span>As <\/span>the <\/span>apostle <\/span>Paul <\/span>writes:<\/span><\/p>\n

Romans <\/span>9:<\/span>27\u2013<\/span>29 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>And <\/span>Isaiah <\/span>cries <\/span>out <\/span>concerning <\/span>Israel: \u2018<\/span>Though <\/span>the <\/span>number <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>sons <\/span>of <\/span>Israel <\/span>be <\/span>as <\/span>the <\/span>sand <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>sea, <\/span>only <\/span>a <\/span>remnant <\/span>of <\/span>them <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>saved, <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>will <\/span>carry <\/span>out <\/span>His <\/span>sentence <\/span>upon <\/span>the <\/span>earth <\/span>fully <\/span>and <\/span>without <\/span>delay.\u2019 <\/span>And <\/span>as <\/span>Isaiah <\/span>predicted, \u2018<\/span>If <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>of <\/span>hosts <\/span>had <\/span>not <\/span>left <\/span>us <\/span>offspring, <\/span>we <\/span>would <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>like <\/span>Sodom <\/span>and <\/span>become <\/span>like <\/span>Gomorrah.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This <\/span>story <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>just <\/span>history\u2014<\/span>it\u2019s <\/span>prophecy <\/span>in <\/span>pattern. <\/span>Paul, <\/span>quoting <\/span>Isaiah, <\/span>applies <\/span>these <\/span>Old <\/span>Testament <\/span>realities <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>New <\/span>Covenant <\/span>Church. <\/span>The <\/span>physical <\/span>nation <\/span>of <\/span>Israel <\/span>prefigures <\/span>the <\/span>spiritual <\/span>people <\/span>of <\/span>God\u2014<\/span>those <\/span>who <\/span>are <\/span>in <\/span>Christ. <\/span>What <\/span>happened <\/span>to <\/span>them <\/span>is <\/span>meant <\/span>to <\/span>serve <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>warning <\/span>for <\/span>us.<\/span><\/p>\n

1 <\/span>Corinthians <\/span>10:<\/span>11 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Now <\/span>these <\/span>things <\/span>happened <\/span>to <\/span>them <\/span>as <\/span>an <\/span>example, <\/span>but <\/span>they <\/span>were <\/span>written <\/span>down <\/span>for <\/span>our <\/span>instruction, <\/span>on <\/span>whom <\/span>the <\/span>end <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>ages <\/span>has <\/span>come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When <\/span>Israel <\/span>fell <\/span>into <\/span>idolatry <\/span>and <\/span>spiritual <\/span>corruption, <\/span>their <\/span>judgment <\/span>came <\/span>swiftly. <\/span>Likewise, <\/span>Jesus <\/span>and <\/span>His <\/span>apostles <\/span>foretold <\/span>a <\/span>great <\/span>falling <\/span>away <\/span>within <\/span>the <\/span>Church <\/span>before <\/span>the <\/span>end (<\/span>cf. <\/span>Matthew <\/span>24:<\/span>10\u2013<\/span>12<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>2 <\/span>Thessalonians <\/span>2:<\/span>3<\/span><\/em>). <\/span>The <\/span>enemy <\/span>has <\/span>sown <\/span>tares (<\/span>false <\/span>believers) <\/span>among <\/span>the <\/span>wheat, <\/span>and <\/span>until <\/span>the <\/span>final <\/span>harvest, <\/span>the <\/span>two <\/span>will <\/span>grow <\/span>side <\/span>by <\/span>side (<\/span>Matthew <\/span>13:<\/span>24\u2013<\/span>30).<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, <\/span>the <\/span>number <\/span>of <\/span>professing <\/span>Christians <\/span>worldwide <\/span>is <\/span>over <\/span>three <\/span>billion\u2014<\/span>more <\/span>than <\/span>the <\/span>physical <\/span>Israelites <\/span>ever <\/span>were. <\/span>But <\/span>as <\/span>in <\/span>ancient <\/span>times, <\/span>numbers <\/span>are <\/span>not <\/span>the <\/span>measure <\/span>of <\/span>faithfulness. <\/span>Among <\/span>this <\/span>vast <\/span>multitude, <\/span>only <\/span>a <\/span>small <\/span>remnant <\/span>is <\/span>truly <\/span>faithful <\/span>to <\/span>Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke <\/span>12:<\/span>32 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Fear <\/span>not, <\/span>little <\/span>flock, <\/span>for <\/span>it <\/span>is <\/span>your <\/span>Father’s <\/span>good <\/span>pleasure <\/span>to <\/span>give <\/span>you <\/span>the <\/span>kingdom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus <\/span>described <\/span>His <\/span>Church <\/span>not <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>mighty <\/span>multitude <\/span>but <\/span>as <\/span>a <\/span>little <\/span>flock<\/span><\/em>. <\/span>Many <\/span>are <\/span>called, <\/span>but <\/span>few <\/span>are <\/span>chosen (<\/span>Matthew <\/span>22:<\/span>14). <\/span>The <\/span>present <\/span>age <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>a <\/span>time <\/span>for <\/span>complacency <\/span>but <\/span>for <\/span>self-<\/span>examination <\/span>and <\/span>repentance. <\/span>The <\/span>pull <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>world <\/span>is <\/span>stronger <\/span>than <\/span>ever, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>passion <\/span>many <\/span>had <\/span>at <\/span>first <\/span>is <\/span>growing <\/span>cold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Returning <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>today\u2014<\/span>renewing <\/span>our <\/span>first <\/span>love, <\/span>walking <\/span>in <\/span>holiness, <\/span>rejecting <\/span>sin\u2014<\/span>is <\/span>far <\/span>more <\/span>challenging <\/span>now <\/span>than <\/span>when <\/span>we <\/span>first <\/span>believed. <\/span>The <\/span>spiritual <\/span>environment <\/span>has <\/span>become <\/span>more <\/span>polluted, <\/span>the <\/span>Church <\/span>more <\/span>compromised, <\/span>and <\/span>distractions <\/span>more <\/span>intense. <\/span>It <\/span>is <\/span>only <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>grace <\/span>and <\/span>power <\/span>of <\/span>God <\/span>that <\/span>anyone <\/span>can <\/span>stand.<\/span><\/p>\n

We <\/span>must <\/span>be <\/span>among <\/span>the <\/span>faithful <\/span>remnant. <\/span>The <\/span>Lord <\/span>is <\/span>calling <\/span>His <\/span>people <\/span>to <\/span>forsake <\/span>sin, <\/span>turn <\/span>fully <\/span>to <\/span>Him, <\/span>and <\/span>keep <\/span>their <\/span>eyes <\/span>fixed <\/span>on <\/span>eternity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because <\/span>the <\/span>return <\/span>of <\/span>Christ <\/span>is <\/span>near.<\/span><\/p>\n

At <\/span>any <\/span>moment, <\/span>the <\/span>event <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Rapture <\/span>could <\/span>occur\u2014<\/span>the <\/span>sudden <\/span>catching <\/span>away <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>true <\/span>Church (<\/span>1 <\/span>Thessalonians <\/span>4:<\/span>16\u2013<\/span>17). <\/span>For <\/span>some, <\/span>it <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>a <\/span>day <\/span>of <\/span>joy <\/span>and <\/span>reunion. <\/span>For <\/span>others, <\/span>a <\/span>day <\/span>of <\/span>unspeakable <\/span>regret.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew <\/span>24:<\/span>40\u2013<\/span>42 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Then <\/span>two <\/span>men <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>field; <\/span>one <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>taken <\/span>and <\/span>one <\/span>left. <\/span>Therefore, <\/span>stay <\/span>awake, <\/span>for <\/span>you <\/span>do <\/span>not <\/span>know <\/span>on <\/span>what <\/span>day <\/span>your <\/span>Lord <\/span>is <\/span>coming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

May <\/span>the <\/span>Lord <\/span>help <\/span>us <\/span>remain <\/span>watchful, <\/span>faithful, <\/span>and <\/span>ready.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n