Chapter 4: How Christ Will Change the World, Starting With Israel
“And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).
One of the Bible’s major themes is God’s relationship with the people of Israel.
The 12 tribes of Israel descended from the patriarch Abraham. God had a special relationship with Abraham because of his faithfulness, and He promised to bless “all the families of the earth” through Abraham and to make his descendants a great people (Genesis 12:2-3). This promise passed on to his descendants through Jacob, who became known as Israel.
Under Moses, the 12 tribes entered a formal covenant with God. The people, as a nation, promised to faithfully obey His law, and God pledged to protect and bless them (Exodus 19:3-9). God wanted them to be a model nation, an example to the world of the blessings that come from obeying Him (Deuteronomy 4:5-7).
The tribes later became a kingdom called Israel, but their national unity was short-lived. The northern 10 tribes eventually broke away from the southern kingdom, and the country divided into the southern kingdom of Judah (the Jewish people) and the northern kingdom of Israel. This breach has never healed, continuing nearly 3,000 years to this day.
Through the years, the two kingdoms descended into worse and worse immorality, breaking their covenant with God. Instead of modeling God’s way, they followed the model of surrounding pagan nations. Because of the people’s flagrant sins, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered and taken captive by the Assyrians in the eighth century B.C., never to return to their homeland. These Israelites eventually lost their identity and migrated northwest to Europe. (We will learn more about their modern identities later in this chapter.)
Around 135 years later, Babylon conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and destroyed Jerusalem, again because of rampant sin. A Jewish remnant eventually returned to Jerusalem, but remained mostly dominated by other empires (Persia, Greece and Rome). An attempted rebellion against Rome ultimately led to the Jews being expelled altogether from the Holy Land. The descendants of Judah are now known as Jews and are scattered throughout the earth.
In the New Testament we find God entering into a New Covenant, this time with the Church, which is composed of people from all nations. They are given the Holy Spirit, empowering them to succeed where physical Israel failed. God is now working with the Church, spiritual Israel, as His model people (Philippians 2:15; 1 Peter 2:9-10).
But is God finished with physical Israel? Will they forever remain scattered throughout the world, cut off from God? Will the descendants of the two kingdoms remain divided forever?
Many millennial prophecies reveal the answer is a resounding no.
One of the great themes of millennial prophecies is that God will fulfill His promises to resume His special relationship with Israel. He will make them a great, unified nation once again, and this time they will model His righteousness to the entire world.
Many of the prophets who warned Israel and Judah of their sins and approaching punishment also proclaimed hope that they would rise again and be given another opportunity to be the people God desired them to be.
Let’s explore some of those prophecies and discover how Jesus Christ will work with the people of Israel after His return.
Israel during the Great Tribulation
Prophecies show that because of their national sins, Israel’s descendants will suffer greatly in the end times. Jeremiah called the 3½-year period before Jesus’ return “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), a time “of fear, and not of peace” (verse 5). The modern nations descended from Israel will be in some form of captivity during this time (verse 3), a chastisement brought upon them for their continued sins (Deuteronomy 31:16-18, 29).
Though they will face intense suffering during this time, they won’t be destroyed. The returning Messiah will deliver the modern Israelites from their captivity and suffering! “The LORD their God will save them [Israel] in that day, as the flock of His people” (Zechariah 9:16).
But what will Christ do after He saves them?
Christ will gather Israel
Many prophecies show that Jesus will save both Judah and Israel.
Note God’s statement through Zechariah: “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them” (Zechariah 10:6).
Christ will save and bring back both the house of Judah (the Jews) and the house of Joseph (representing the northern 10 tribes).
God continued: “I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until no more room is found for them” (verse 10).
Isaiah gave a much wider view of where the Israelites will be scattered during this time and how God will gather them: “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” (Isaiah 11:12; see also verse 11).
The Israelites restored to their homeland
But where will Christ bring them?
Speaking through Jeremiah, God said: “For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers” (Jeremiah 16:15)—their original homeland.
Later, Jeremiah said the Israelites’ future migration back to the Promised Land will dwarf the historical exodus from Egypt (Jeremiah 23:7-8; see also Ezekiel 11:17).
So one of the first acts of Christ’s government will be to lead a massive relocation of the Israelite peoples back to the lands allotted to them.
Upon their return, the millions of Israelites will begin a massive project of cleanup and reconstruction from the destruction caused during the violent end times (Amos 9:14-15).
The state of desolation will require tremendous work for Jerusalem and Israel to be restored to a habitable and productive land. At the same time, work will begin on building a new temple in Jerusalem (Amos 9:11), and the remnants of the false forms of worship will be cleared out (Ezekiel 11:18).
From its ruins, Jerusalem and its surroundings will rise again to beauty and glory as the new world capital (Ezekiel 28:26).
Israel, through most of its history, was highly vulnerable to aggressive empires that rose against it. But in the Millennium, it will become the safest place on earth.
Judah and Israel reunited into one nation
Another major factor involved with bringing back the descendants of both Judah and Israel is that Christ will reunite them as one nation.
For the most part, Judah and the northern tribes of Israel were divided brothers, only unified as one kingdom for less than 120 years—a short blip on history’s timeline—under the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon.
Ezekiel recorded one of the most descriptive prophecies of how God will reunify them:
“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” (Ezekiel 37:21-22). The king over them will be David (verse 24).
Think about it: this prophecy proves the descendants of the 10 northern tribes of Israel continue to exist today and are not the same as the house of Judah!
The descendants of Judah, known today as Jews, are scattered throughout the world, with a portion living in the modern State of Israel. So where are the rest of Israel’s descendants, sometimes called “the lost 10 tribes”?
A close study of history and prophecy shows the tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) are found among the English-speaking nations of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth nations and the United States. The other tribes continue to exist among the nations of northwestern Europe. You can learn more about the modern identity of Israel in our booklet The United States, Britain and the Commonwealth in Prophecy.
So the Jewish people will be reunited with their lost Israelite brothers under righteous leadership—something they rarely experienced throughout their history—and this will lead to the most significant reason for their restoration.
Israel will become a righteous nation
God will give the reunited nation another chance to fulfill His original purpose—to model His way of life to all nations. This time they will!
Ezekiel reveals how God will begin this spiritual transformation:
“‘When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 39:27-29).
This spiritual transformation will begin by Jesus Christ’s revealing that He is their God. After bringing them back to their land, He will make His Holy Spirit available to them, which will give them the power to transform their lives (Romans 12:2).
At that time, the New Covenant will apply to all of Israel:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:31-33). This is confirmed in the New Testament in Hebrews 8:10.
They will be offered a loving, family relationship with their God and have the opportunity to have His law imprinted on their hearts and minds through His Holy Spirit. Having His Spirit and living by His law will totally transform Israel and Judah into a nation of spiritually converted men and women (Isaiah 45:17; Hosea 3:5; Malachi 3:18).
Hundreds of years after the prophets wrote about Israel’s future conversion, the apostle Paul confirmed that God has not forever abandoned physical Israel.
He wrote, “God has not cast away His people [Israel] whom He foreknew” (Romans 11:2).
Paul then echoed the prophets’ message that God will indeed work again with Israel after Christ returns: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins’” (verses 26-27).
You may be wondering, what does this have to do with my future and the future of the rest of the world? Is Christ going to focus only on Israel and ignore everyone else?
What is the significance and God’s ultimate purpose behind Israel’s national conversion?
Israel will finally be a light
God never intended to limit His working to only the descendants of one family.
When God placed Israel in the Promised Land, He told them to “be careful to observe” the law He had given them, not only for their own good, but as an example to other nations.
“For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-7).
Though they failed then, Isaiah showed they will succeed in the future. “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). Christ is, of course, the “light of the world” (John 8:12). But as Isaiah goes on to illustrate, Israel will follow Christ and reflect His light in their example to others.
“For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:2-3).
Christ will use Israel as a real-life example—a shining light—for all nations. Why? To extend the light of His salvation “to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6)!
God has always desired for all people to understand His wonderful truth (1 Timothy 2:4).
At the beginning of the Millennium, the Israelites’ direct relationship with Jesus Christ, their conversion and obedience, will lead to spiritual and physical blessings—prosperity, bounty, joy, peace, happiness and safety.
Other nations and peoples will look and marvel—and seek to experience these blessings for themselves.
“Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD” (Zechariah 8:22). The rebuilt temple in Jerusalem will become what God always intended: “a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17).
Year by year, more and more people will follow Israel’s example and choose to obey God from the heart.
“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” (Jeremiah 3:17).
Israel will finally fulfill God’s purpose of being a truly righteous nation, modeling God’s truth and blessings to everyone around the globe. Where Israel failed in the past, it will succeed in the Millennium.
Let’s now see how the rest of the world will be transformed by finally obeying the eternal laws of God.
Sidebar: Animal Sacrifices During the Millennium?
Prophecies of a rebuilt physical temple, animal sacrifices and a functioning Levitical priesthood during the Millennium often puzzle Bible students.
In the sixth century B.C., after the Babylonians took him captive, Ezekiel prophesied many astonishing things about Israel’s future. In his 13th and last vision, God showed him details of the future rebuilt temple and its attendant ceremonies and functions.
What is the need for a restored physical temple when Christ will be on earth and ruling from Jerusalem? And weren’t animal sacrifices rendered unnecessary through Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-14)?
Some skeptics say Ezekiel’s imagination was running wild, and we shouldn’t take these prophecies literally. But many of Ezekiel’s prophecies have already been fulfilled and were literal. So we would be presumptuous and mistaken to label these millennial prophecies as figurative.
Given the detailed description of this future temple found in Ezekiel 40-43, he clearly intended the vision to be taken literally.
Other scriptures support and help us understand these prophecies. Toward the end of the sixth century B.C., after Ezekiel had died, Zechariah foretold something similar.
“In that day ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD’ shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite [‘no more traders,’ Tanakh] in the house of the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 14:20-21).
Yes, there will be a house dedicated to the Lord, with pots and sacrifices. Isaiah also spoke of the fine materials to be used in this future temple and recorded God Himself saying, “I will glorify the house of My glory” (Isaiah 60:7). It will be an exceptionally beautiful building—and Jesus Christ will be there.
But the question remains: Why have a physical temple when Christ is here on earth?
Zechariah tells us that every year the nations—even those that formerly fought against Jerusalem—will send people to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19). And, if any refuse to come, they will be corrected to teach them a lesson (verse 17).
When thinking about nations sending people to God’s headquarters to learn His ways, remember that so much of the world knows little or nothing about the Bible.
Today many live and die with no access to a Bible, much less the opportunity to learn about God and His laws. Many world religions have no concept of a Messiah or Savior.
For those people, the ideas of submitting to one God, obeying His laws, accepting Jesus Christ as Messiah, repenting of sin and seeking forgiveness will be foreign and confusing. These truths will have to be systematically introduced and taught. As it was in ancient Israel, the Levitical system of sacrifice will be used as a great teaching tool for educating people.
The restored temple Ezekiel described will be the hub of the Millennium’s religious education system. Through the physical rituals of the original temple, Israel learned basic concepts about God, His law and His way of life. Just as the sacrifices in the past pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, so those sacrifices in the Millennium will point back to it.
As Paul noted, “The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24). It seems the millennial temple will exist to assist people in learning by progressing from an Old Covenant arrangement, replete with animal sacrifices and a sacred building, to a New Covenant understanding of Jesus Christ, repentance, conversion and eternal life in God’s family.
Ezekiel’s vision ends with these striking words: “The name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE” (Ezekiel 48:35). And God will be there for the great masses of people who come to Jerusalem to learn His ways.
Almighty God has set His hand to bring “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and He will use the physical temple and sacrifices as a tool to that end.
Truly God’s ways are marvelous! He knows what people need to accomplish His plan, and the restored temple shown in Ezekiel’s vision is but one stepping-stone in its fulfillment.