Focus on Israel

Laurie Cardoza-Moore: I'm Laurie Cardoza-Moore, and this is Focus on Israel.

In an inspired radio address, evangelist F.F. Bosworth, a leader of the Azusa Street Revival, revealed the biblical basis of the Second Exodus.

Guest (Male): Today there is much teaching on the subject of prophecy, and it is important that there should be. It is very important for every student of prophecy, in fact, it is absolutely necessary for their understanding to see the distinction the Bible makes between the Judaites and the other tribes of Israel.

Until this distinction between Israel and Judah, as taught in the scriptures, is clearly understood, a great portion of the Bible will remain a closed book. Until it is understood, it is impossible to follow the truth of scripture on this subject or to understand the Bible story of Israel.

Laurie Cardoza-Moore: Hello, and thank you for joining me today on Focus on Israel. Today we see a rise of global antisemitism and anti-Israelism. Many Christians believe that as the Jews rejected Jesus, then God has rejected them. This replacement theology is growing as many Christians believe they have replaced the Jews in God's prophetic plan.

If you truly believe the Bible is the word of God, then you know that when He speaks of Israel, He is speaking about the land of Israel and the Jewish people, not the church. The mission of this series and PJTN is to educate and equip you so that you can share this truth with your family and friends.

On our program today, you'll learn about one of the most important biblical prophecies that is shrouded in secrecy and controversy. It is the prophecy of the Second Exodus. We'll be bringing you this vital information in two Focus on Israel episodes. For several years now, I've been studying this and learning all I could about this foretelling, and just recently I found a lesson that explains it very concisely. It was put together by David C. Grabbe of Forerunner Magazine.

Guest (Male): It has long been observed that about one-third of the Bible is prophecy, and the majority of those prophecies have not yet been fulfilled. In addition, nearly all of those unfulfilled prophecies pertain to the descendants of Abraham in general and Jacob in particular, and to other nations and entities only as they encounter the descendants of these patriarchs.

Understanding the history and the future of the descendants of Jacob is paramount to understanding the rest of the Bible. In particular, grasping what God says will happen to these people allows us to make sense of this world's seemingly incomprehensible events. As Proverbs notes, where there is no vision, the people perish. But God has given us a vision of where current events are leading and what will soon happen to the nations of Israel that have been scattered around the globe.

Historically, after the death of Solomon in 931 BC, the kingdom of Israel split into two separate kingdoms. The northern ten tribes retained the name Israel, establishing their capital at Samaria. The southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, along with part of Levi, became known simply as Judah. They continued to be ruled by the royal line of David from the capital city of Jerusalem.

Two hundred years after this national division, the northern ten tribes were in a terminal state of wickedness and rebellion. God's law was trampled underfoot and God Himself was scoffed at, much as in today's Western culture. God's prophets' warning of Israel's destruction and subjugation were invariably ignored, mocked, or killed. Around 722 BC, God caused Assyria to subdue Israel and enslave the people. The Assyrians deported the population from its homeland in Canaan to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea in what is today Iran. The northern kingdom of Israel thus passed from the view of all but the most obscure histories, becoming known as the lost ten tribes.

The Jews, the southern kingdom of Judah, followed the same course shortly thereafter. Israel set the pace into idolatry and Judah enthusiastically followed. As with Israel, God sent prophets to Judah to warn her of destruction if she failed to repent. She refused. Between 604 and 585 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar carried the population of Judah to Babylon. Later, he totally destroyed Jerusalem, temple and all, and carried away captive the rest of the people.

Both kingdoms, having turned from their covenant with God, earned the penalty of national captivity. After 70 years in Babylonian captivity, the Jews began returning to Canaan. Under Ezra and Nehemiah, the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt, and the temple was restored under Zerubbabel and Joshua. However, the northern ten tribes of Israel never returned. After a long sojourn in and around the areas of their captivity, they migrated north and west into the European continent, eventually spreading from there into the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

However, this migration of Israel will reverse in the days ahead. The Bible shows in many prophecies that a Second Exodus will occur and God's people will return to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The first Exodus, when God brought the children of Israel out from Egypt, is a defining event for both Israelites and Christians. As remarkable as the spontaneous movement of millions of people was, the Second Exodus will be so momentous that the original Exodus from Egypt will pale by comparison.

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. In Isaiah, the prophet also tells of this time when the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left. He will set up a banner for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

God tells Jeremiah, in those times 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. During the first Exodus, a few million Israelites left Egypt to Canaan, a short distance away. Today, Israelites number in the hundreds of millions and their current homelands are thousands of miles from Canaan. They cannot remigrate to the promised land as a single group, for their movements have left them in numerous countries around the globe.

Only the sovereign God can orchestrate such a regathering. While some prophecies speak of Israel returning from every compass point, Israel is most commonly foreseen returning from the north and the west of the promised land. The prophet Isaiah gives numerous descriptions of how this Exodus will take place, such as the individual attention that will be given. And it shall come to pass in that day, you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel.

He speaks of a highway for the remnant. A highway shall be there and a road, and it shall be called the highway of holiness. Whoever walks the road shall not go astray. The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. Not all of Israel will be able to travel back via this highway of holiness. Isaiah describes this massive undertaking further. 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.

Jeremiah 30 and 31 give a broad overview of what God will do to bring back Israel and the rest of Judah and restore the promised land to them. This was not fulfilled in the 1940s when hundreds of thousands of Jews returned to their historical land and founded the modern state of Israel, for only Judah took part in that. The prophecies regarding the Second Exodus clearly speak of both Judah and Israel. For instance, the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 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.

God refers to both kingdoms here, the descendants of the northern kingdom of Israel as well as the southern kingdom of Judah. The return of Israel will be the larger migration because, aside from the 70-year captivity in Babylon, some of the descendants of Judah have always resided in the promised land. Today, the state of Israel is predominantly made up of the descendants of Judah. However, neither Israel nor Judah has truly possessed the land since the time of their respective captivities. After Judah was taken into captivity, Babylon ruled the promised land under Nebuchadnezzar.

Babylon later fell to the Medo-Persian Empire, which then became sovereign over Jerusalem and the promised land. Because of their vassal status, the Jewish captives that returned from Babylon had to ask permission from Cyrus and Darius, the Persian kings, to rebuild the wall and the temple. After Alexander the Great conquered Medo-Persia, the Greeks became the new overseers of the land of promise. Jews gained a measure of independence until Rome took control of the area. Thus, during the time of Christ, Jews lived in the land and even worshipped in the second temple, but they did not possess the land.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the promised land was under the sway of various Arab and Muslim nations down to modern times. Even now, the state of Israel does not control all of the land. Jerusalem is a divided city, and the Israelis have not dared claim all of the Temple Mount for themselves. They know that it would result in an all-out war with the Muslims. Judah is not truly sovereign yet. It does not yet possess the land in the fullest sense of the word.

Even though Israel and Judah will ultimately be restored to the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they will first go through a time of tremendous tribulation and hardship. For thus says the Lord, we have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it. And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. This is what must happen before the Second Exodus.

Notice that it is called Jacob's trouble, not either Israel's trouble or Judah's trouble. Both houses will experience it. God causes Jacob's descendants to be greatly troubled because of their sins. This time of unprecedented crisis, none is like it, corresponds to the time of great tribulation of which Jesus Christ warned. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time. No, nor ever shall be.

Luke's version uses different language to describe the same time and events. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Just as Christ reassures us in Matthew that this will not be the complete end of mankind, Jeremiah promises that Jacob will be saved out of his trouble. Even though that day is great and like nothing we have seen before, it will not be the end of Jacob. Isaiah prophesies, wail for the day of the Lord is at hand. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt, and they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them. They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth. They will be amazed at one another. Their faces will be like flames.

Paul also uses this symbol in First Thessalonians. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

The prophets contain scores of examples of God's anger at the sins of His people. It is with good reason that the prophecies mention that only a remnant will return. Even though the descendants of Jacob will ultimately be saved, the percentage of the current hundreds of millions of Israelites and Jews who survive that trouble will probably be small.

However, how this illustration is applied is interesting. When it applies to God's enemies, the emphasis is clearly on the pain, anguish, and sorrow and fear of what is ahead. But when it refers to Israel, as in Jeremiah 30, there is always hope that the pain will be turned to joy, just as with a physical birth. It is painful, but a tremendous blessing is promised to come when it's over. A hint of this hope appears in Jeremiah. But Jacob shall be saved out of it. The pain and the anguish will not end in total annihilation. Certainly a dear price will be paid in human lives, but the peoples of Jacob will survive and be blessed both physically and spiritually.

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Guest (Male): While the sequence of prophesied latter-day events seems to be fairly straightforward, the captivity and scattering of Israel, the tribulation of Jacob's trouble, God's intervention on behalf of the remnant of Jacob, the Second Exodus back to the promised land, the reunification of Israel and Judah, God's restoration and blessing of His covenant people, the timing is a large unknown. It is unclear when these events will begin, nor is it entirely certain how long they will take.

Even so, Isaiah gives a clue regarding when the Second Exodus will begin. So it shall be in that day, the great trumpet will be blown. They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. The context is the children of Israel being gathered one by one. They who are about to perish seems to refer to the peoples of Israel enduring the time of Jacob's trouble. The turning point then and the beginning of deliverance is when the great trumpet will be blown.

The Olivet Prophecy correlates to this, for Yeshua says, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end to the other.

The trumpet is a symbol of considerable consequence in the Old and New Testaments. In general, it can signify an alarm of war, a call to assemble, or a command to march. The fourth annual holy day is the Feast of Trumpets, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Joseph was released from prison in Egypt on the Feast of Trumpets, making for rich symbolism regarding the future release of Israelite captives.

God through the prophets often uses Joseph to represent not just Ephraim and Manasseh, but all of Israel. Various end-time prophecies show that a trumpet precedes the day of the Lord, when Yeshua returns as King of kings and overthrows the nations of this world, establishing the kingdom of God on earth. While the Book of Revelation tells of seven trumpets, when the last one sounds, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever, indicating He has returned.

This all shows that the timing of the Second Exodus in general corresponds to the return of Christ. After the people of Israel have endured the chastening of Jacob's trouble, they will be liberated and brought back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from your neck and will burst your bonds. Foreigners shall no more enslave them, but they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you. Though I make a full end of all the nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice and will not let you go altogether unpunished.

In all of God's dealings with Israel and Judah, and especially regarding the Second Exodus, we see His perfect application of justice and mercy. We could not trust God if He did not hold to His promises of blessing and cursing. If He allowed Israel and Judah to sin with impunity, His laws would have no authority and His words would be of no consequence. However, for the sake of what is best for Jacob, God has to show him that He is serious about what He says. So His justice will be upheld as Israel and Judah are brought to the painful realization that they have forsaken Him and have been living the wrong way.

Yet we can also see God's mercy in His dealings with His people. Today's Western culture, a product of the nations of Israel, is not so very different from Sodom and Gomorrah. Our regard for humanity is so low that in America alone during the last three decades, an estimated 40 to 50 million pre-born children have been killed for the sake of convenience. Further, God has been systematically removed from schools, from government, and from public life.

God repeats several times that He is bringing Israel back for His namesake and not for Israel's sake. Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, I do not do this restoring Israel and blessing the land for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy namesake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your sake do I do this, says the Lord God.

But when the punishment is done, He will bring His people back to the land that He promised them and give them rest and peace. A number of other prophecies concerning the Second Exodus relate how God will bless the land, which will once again produce abundantly. Israel and Judah will have the promised land. They will have peace because this time their enemies will be completely destroyed, and they will have prosperity. They will also be blessed numerically as the remnant begins to multiply.

But this time, the peace and prosperity will last because two factors will be different. First, Israel and Judah will have perfect leadership. Jesus Christ will be king and David will be his prince. Corrupt or ambivalent leadership will no longer lead Israel astray. Instead, the leaders will set the example of righteousness for the people to follow. Additionally, the 12 original apostles will be resurrected and sit as judges over the 12 tribes, ensuring that proper judgment is given. Second, Israel and Judah will both make a new covenant, meaning that they will be given the Holy Spirit, which will enable them to keep the law in its spiritual intent. They will be given a new heart and will finally be able to know their God.

Laurie Cardoza-Moore: Well that's our program for today, and that concludes the first part of this teaching on the Second Exodus. Please join me on our next Focus on Israel as we conclude this study on this revealed word. I want you to know we appreciate your support. The time to take a stand is now. Be a leader in your community and in your church. One person can make a difference. Get involved with and support pro-Israel organizations such as PJTN. Visit our website to learn more. Sign up to receive action alerts and order our films to share with family and friends. God bless you and thank you for all you do on behalf of our Jewish brethren and all Israel. We'll see you next time on Focus on Israel.