The Order of the Return
Email from RK. Copying here for the Scripture popups…
I need your help to contextualize the partial historical fulfillment of many of the following verses, and yet to present a case of the ultimate fulfillment at the end of the age
Here are the prophetic passages that I am wanting to exegete and give context for as end-time ultimate fulfillment. I also want to give insight into some of these passages that have a partial fulfillment
Moses’ prophecy of Israel being scattered and in captivity (Deut. 28:64) was partially fulfilled after the invasions by Assyria (721 BC), Babylon (586 BC), and Rome (AD 70)—its ultimate fulfillment will be in the end times.
The prophets made reference to Jewish people being scattered as refugees, persecuted, and/or taken captive as prisoners (Ps. 102:20; Isa. 11:11-12, 16; 14:2-3; 27:12-13; 42:7, 22-25; 49:9, 21-26; 60:14; 61:1; Jer. 30:3, 8-10, 17-18; 31:16-17, 23; Ezek. 34:27-29; 39:23-29; Hos. 11:10-11; Joel 3:1-3; Amos 9:14; Mic. 4:6-7; 7:12; Zeph. 3:19-20; Zech. 9:11-12; 10:10-11; 13:8; 14:2; Lk. 21:24).
I know it will take a little research, but I would be more than a little interested in your observations and sugggestions, especially on how to set up the argument. I will also send a couple of things I’ve written on the website on this.
Mostly, the object is to offer an alternative to what many of the messianics in the Land, as well as the many pastors from all over the world that look to them, who are failing to see that Israel will be called up to repentant faith at the end of the tribulation only AFTER being in some of the darkest circumstances in the nation’s history. It is also critical to distinguish how the return is in two distinct stages, one that is after “many generations” of “continual desolation” (Isa 61:4; Eze 38:8) and the final return only AFTER after a very brief desolation that follows a comparatively recent re-fructification, beautification, and restored prosperity and repopulation of the Land (Joel 2:1-3; Eze 38:12-13). Getting people to see that distinction is key. So I thought of calling it something like, “the long and the short desolation of the Land”.
The order of return is very important and requires serious scholarly investigation and clarification of distinctinction that is nowhere that I’ve seen in the literature, other than the usual distinction between the pretribulational return in unbelief and the post-tribulational return in repentant faith. If time and interest permit, I’d like anything back on this you might care to offer, ideally sooner than later. This was invited by a friend, but the notes I hope to collect and put down are no less valuable for us and our purposes.