Part two of Isaiah 11 reveals the ingathering if Gentiles
and the remnant of Israel into the kingdom of God. There are those who claim
this is merely the return of ethnic Israel to the land they inhabited. We shall
see.
Isaiah 11:11-12 (HCSB) On that day the Lord will ⌊extend⌋
His hand a second time to recover—from
Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands
of the west—the remnant of His people who
survive. He will lift up a banner for the nations and gather the dispersed of
Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the
earth.
We see this phrase, "On that day," which
repeatedly brings very good or very bad news. We see His hand raised - again!
But this time, not in judgment, but to recover, to bring back, the remnant of
His people. Earlier in this book (chap 5 and verse 26) we saw YHWH lift up a banner
which called the Gentiles to Himself. Here we see it again, calling people from
the nation, the scattered people of Israel and those scattered from Judah -
from the four corners of the earth. Herein is a clue: ethnic Israel was taken
into exile in a very concentrated area. In Isaiah's time, they had not been scattered
all over the globe. If we look to the apostolic teaching on who is Israel,
we'll see Isaiah' reference must be speaking of the elect and redeemed from
every tribe, tongue, and people.
Isaiah 11:13-14 (HCSB) Ephraim’s envy will cease; Judah’s
harassment will end. Ephraim will no longer be envious of Judah, and Judah will
not harass Ephraim. But they will swoop down on the Philistine flank to the
west. Together they will plunder the people of the east. They will extend their
power over Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be their subjects.
On that day, the striving amongst the tribes of Israel will
cease. In the first part of this chapter, we read about, on that day, the wolf
and the lamb, the lion and the calf, the bear and the cow will all be at peace
with each other. So it will be with the tribes of man who are united together
in Christ as one new man. God-haters will not be able to divide them nor stand
before them, for the great day of the Lord is at hand!
Isaiah 11:15-16 (HCSB) The LORD will divide the Gulf of
Suez. He will wave His hand over the Euphrates with His mighty wind and will
split it into seven streams, letting people walk through on foot. There will be
a highway for the remnant of His people who will survive from Assyria, as there
was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.
YHWH will go before His people, making the way to His
kingdom clear. As Moses held up his hands to part the Red Sea, YHWH will lift
His hand over the great river Euphrates and split it into seven streams, small rivulets
that men can walk through. And God will make a highway for His remnant - not
all ethnic Israel. Those people He gathered from the four corners of the earth
will travel on His highway to be welcomed into the eternal kingdom.
This is the Lord's doing - and it is marvelous in our eyes!
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