Specific Promises of LAND for Israel

 by James C. Morris – www.tojesusbeallglory.com/p/james-c-morris.html

Explicitly Stated Prophecies About the Return of the Ancient Nation of Israel to its Homeland.

In promises specifically addressed to the ancient nation of Israel, God repeatedly and explicitly pledged Himself to bring them back into “the land that I gave to your fathers,” “the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers,” “the country for which I raised my hand in an oath to give to your fathers,” “the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, where your fathers dwelt,” and “your own land.” And in prophecies ABOUT them, as opposed to promises TO them, He pledged to bring them back into “the land that I gave to their fathers,” “their land which I gave to their fathers,” an d “their own land,” as well as “the land of Israel.”

The fact that these prophecies and promises could not even possibly be speaking about “the church” is shown by the fact that they all speak about a return of a SPECIFIC ancient nation to a specific PLOT OF REAL ESTATE. But then, not satisfied by using so very many specific designations, in Ezekiel 36 the Holy Spirit went on to designate that PLOT OF REAl ESTATE as the “mountains of Israel,” along with “the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around.” And He promised that PLOT OF REAL ESTATE that “I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.” Then, eleven chapters later, in Ezekiel 47, He went so far as to precisely define the future borders of that PLOT OF REAL ESTATE, and in the next chapter, Ezekiel 48, to designate which part of that PLOT OF REAL ESTATE would go to each of the twelve tribes of Israel, naming each tribe as its portion was specified. So there is no way to rationally even try to pretend that these prophecies and promises applied to “the church.”

Many imagine that these prophecies and promises were fulfilled when the Jews returned from Babylon in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. But that return was only a return of a very small part of the southern sub-kingdom of Judah. So it did not even approximately resemble the “all the house of Israel, all of it,” that was promised in Ezekiel 36. And those who returned at that time never attained borders even approximately like those specified in Ezekiel 47, nor was their land ever divided in a way even approximately resembling what was specified in Ezekiel 48. And Ezekiel 37:25 explicitly says that, after this return takes place, “they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever.” And it is common knowledge that in approximately 135 A.D., they were again expelled from the land, never to return until the twentieth century. So again, there is no way to rationally even try to pretend that these promises have ever been fulfilled.

And finally, our God has plainly told us WHEN that return will take place and THAT time has not yet come. For Isaiah 66:15–21 says: “For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many. “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the Lord.

“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.”

It is absolutely unquestionable that this has NOT already taken place. For the Lord’s coming “with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire” is unquestionably an end times event.

But some go so far in their unbelief as to claim that the ancient nation of Israel no longer exists, as if the promises of God could not even possibly be true. But what did God Himself say about THAT claim? In Jeremiah 31:35–36, He said, “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): ‘If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a NATION before Me forever.’ ”

To make my opening statement shorter, I did not give either the complete statements or the citations for many of the scriptures that I quoted here. But I will now quote each of these scriptures in its entirety, with its citation, in the order in which they occur in the Bible.

Jeremiah 3:17–18 says,“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.“In those days THE HOUSE OF JUDAH SHALL WALK WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, AND THEY SHALL COME TOGETHER out of the land of the north TO THE LAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN AS AN INHERITANCE TO YOUR FATHERS.”

Jeremiah 16:14-16, says, “ ‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that it shall no more be said, “The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “The LORD lives WHO BROUGHT UP THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FROM THE LAND OF THE NORTH AND FROM ALL THE LANDS WHERE HE HAD DRIVEN THEM.” For I will bring them BACK INTO THEIR LAND WHICH I GAVE TO THEIR FATHERS. ‘Behold, I will send for many fishermen,’ says the LORD, ‘and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.’ ”

Jeremiah 23:3-8 says, “ ‘Therefore, behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “As the LORD lives WHO BROUGHT UP AND LED THE DESCENDANTS OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.” AND THEY SHALL DWELL IN THEIR OWN LAND.’ ”

Jeremiah 30:2–3 says, “Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I WILL BRING BACK FROM CAPTIVITY MY PEOPLE ISRAEL AND JUDAH,’ says the Lord. ‘And I WILL CAUSE THEM TO RETURN TO THE LAND THAT I GAVE TO THEIR FATHERS, and they shall possess it.’ ”

Ezekiel 20:40–42 says, “For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “THERE ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, ALL OF THEM IN THE LAND, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things. I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, WHEN I BRING YOU INTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL, INTO THE COUNTRY FOR WHICH I RAISED MY HAND IN AN OATH TO GIVE TO YOUR FATHERS.”

Ezekiel 36:4–10 says, “therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around—therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.’

“Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations.” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men upon you, ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, ALL OF IT; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.’ ”

Ezekiel 36:22–28 says, “Therefore SAY TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and BRING YOU INTO YOUR OWN LAND.Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. THEN YOU SHALL DWELL IN THE LAND THAT I GAVE TO YOUR FATHERS; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

Ezekiel 37:21–25 says, “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

“David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. THEN THEY SHALL DWELL IN THE LAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN TO JACOB MY SERVANT, WHERE YOUR FATHERS DWELT; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.”

Ezekiel 47:13–20 says, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘These are the borders by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. You shall inherit it equally with one another; for I raised My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance. “This shall be the border of the land on the north: from the Great Sea, by the road to Hethlon, as one goes to Zedad, Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazar Hatticon (which is on the border of Hauran). Thus the boundary shall be from the Sea to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus; and as for the north, northward, it is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. “On the east side you shall mark out the border from between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan, and along the eastern side of the sea. This is the east side. “The south side, toward the South, shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the South. “The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the southern boundary until one comes to a point opposite Hamath. This is the west side.” ’ ”

Ezekiel 48:1–8 says, “Now these are the names of the tribes: From the northern border along the road to Hethlon at the entrance of Hamath, to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus northward, in the direction of Hamath, there shall be one section for Dan from its east to its west side; by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, one section for Asher; by the border of Asher, from the east side to the west, one section for Naphtali; by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, one section for Manasseh; by the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, one section for Ephraim; by the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, one section for Reuben; by the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west, one section for Judah; by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the district which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in width, and in length the same as one of the other portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the center.”

And finally, Ezekiel 48:23–29 says, “ ‘As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west, Benjamin shall have one section; by the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon shall have one section; by the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar shall have one section; by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun shall have one section; by the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad shall have one section; by the border of Gad, on the south side, toward the South, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the land which you shall divide by lot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions,’ says the Lord God.”