BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: THE NEW COVENANT

THE NEW COVENANT

I) THE TIME OF THE NEVER TO BE EQUALED DISTRESS OF GOD'S PEOPLE ISRAEL - ALL TWELVE TRIBES; THE REGATHERING / RESTORATION AND ONGOING PROSPERITY OF BOTH ISRAEL AND JUDAH TOGETHER AS ONE PEOPLE INTO A FOREVER PRESENCE AND POSSESSION OF THE ENTIRE PROMISED LAND; AND THE EXHIBITING BY THEM OF CONSISTENT GODLINESS CONSTITUTE THE KEY CONTEXT OF THE FULFILLMENT OF THE NEW COVENANT - TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER TIMES WHICH DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THIS IN VIEW

A) (Jer 30:1-3; 31:31-34; cf. 33:1ff) The Lord Commanded Jeremiah To Write The Words Which He Had Spoken To Jeremiah In A Book - The Subject Of Which Was His Promise To Restore His People Israel And Judah To The Promised Land To Possess Forever - The Fulfillment Of The New Covenant He Would Make With Them

(Jer 30:1 NASB) '''The word which [has come] to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (Jer 30:2 NKJV) Thus [has spoken] the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. (Jer 30:3 NKJV) 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.' " ...

... (Jer 31:31 NASB) 'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [crefs Jer 32:40; 33:14; Ezek 37:26] (Jer 31:32 NASB) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day [of My taking] them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,' declares the LORD. (Jer 31:33 NASB) But this [is] the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' [Jer 32:40] declares the LORD, 'I will put My law within them [in the sense of within their minds] and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people [Jer 24:7; 30:22; 32:38]. (Jer 31:34 NASB) They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me [Isa 11:9; 54:13; Jer 24:7; Hab 2:14], from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the LORD, 'for I will forgive their iniquity [Jer 33:8; 50:20; Ezek 36:22-27 ], and their sin I will remember no more [Isa 43:25]." =

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¤ In Jer 30:1-3 the prophet Jeremiah wrote that the LORD commanded him to write a book - a book which contains all the words He had spoken to the prophet relative to the LORD's promise to restore the fortunes of His people Israel and Judah - bringing them to the land that He gave to their forefathers which they will possess forever, (ref. vv. 7-11) - in fulfillment of a New Covenant with them, (ref. Jer 31:31-34 ). Since Israel split into two kingdoms, their joining once more into one nation according to Scripture, and history so far, will not occur until the end times - this time for all time. So far this has not occurred. There are still millions of Jews remaining outside of the Promised Land. The Promised Land has largely remained and remains occupied and possessed by non-Jews .

Notice that in Jer 30:3, the Lord declared, "the days are coming that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah ... And I will cause them to return to the land I gave to their fathers and they shall possess it." In view of the phrases in Jer 30:3 rendered "the days are coming," and "My people Israel and Judah," Jer 30:1-3 is a clear and unequivocal statement of the permanent / forever return to and possession of the promised land by all of the tribes of Israel and Judah together. The passage does not indicate periods of restoration followed by periods of dispersion for each of the kingdoms joined or separately until the final and permanent restoration is effected for all of Israel and Judah together once more as one people, as some contend. Although the Hebrew word "āymîm" rendered "days" is masculine, plural, it cannot be referring to progressive days / periods of time of fulfillment interrupted by "unfulfillment" in order to include the history of Israel's restorations followed by dispersions and captivity, as some contend. For the "days" of fulfilllment are clearly permanent - forever - uninterrupted - unrepeatable. All of the references in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah and elsewhere to the restoration of Israel in fulfillment of the New Covenant have the same plural "days" or "day" and clearly refer to the eschatological / end times - a time when both Israel and Judah together become as one people in an everlasting kingdom, (cf. Jer 3:16-18; 30:4-9; 16:14-21; 23:5-8; 30:24; 31:23-40). They will forever occupy and be forever in possession of the entire Promised Land . So the timeframe of the Everlasting Kingdom with both Israel and Judah as one people is in view.

Since both the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah are in view in Jer 30:1-3, ("My people Israel and Judah"); and since the time is described in Jer 30:7 as, "for the day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob's distress" which the passage indicates is a distress which will never be equaled or exceeded, (ref. Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:15-22); then this time can only refer to the end time when both Kingdoms will be once more joined together as one people forever to occupy and possess the entire Promised Land, only after such unexcelled distress occurs in history as a one time event: the time of Jacob's trouble, (cf. Jer 30:7).

So it is evident that the LORD commanded Jeremiah to write these hopeful prophecies in a book in order to provide a permanent record for generations to come to read in order to assure God's chosen people that He would be faithful to His promise of their eternal destiny - an assurance of their eternal destiny as one people together forever especially during the times when God's people were being disciplined for unfaithfulness and were dispersed from the land under captivity.

This is the fulfillment of the New Covenant the LORD made with His people Israel as corroborated by what is stipulated in Jer 30:1-31:40 - the key verses being Jer 31:31-34:

1) [Jer 31:31-34 ]:

(Jer 31:31 NASB) [Jer 31:31-34; Jer 32:40; 33:14; Dt 10:1-10; Ezek 36:24-33; 37:24-28] 'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

(Jer 31:32 NASB) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day [of My taking] them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, [Ex 19:5; 24:6-8; Dt 5:2, 3; Dt 1:31; Isa 63:12; Jer 11:1-8] My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,' declares the LORD.

(Jer 31:33 NASB) But this [is] the covenant [Jer 32:40; Heb 10:16] which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the LORD, [Ps 40:8; 2 Cor 3:3] 'I will put My law within them [in the sense of within their minds] and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people [Jer 24:7; 30:22; 32:38].

(Jer 31:34 NASB) They will not teach again [1 Thes 4:9; 1 Jn 2:27], each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me [Isa 11:9; 54:13; Jer 24:7; Hab 2:14], from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the LORD, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more [Jer 33:8; 50:20; Mic 7:17; Ro 11:27; Isa 43:25]."

Note that the word "know" here indicates a knowledge of the LORD in the sense of believing in Him for salvation unto eternal life, i.e., regeneration - corroborated by those who know the LORD will have the Law of God within them, written on their heart and have been forgiven of their iniquity: results of regeneration unto eternal life.

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B) (Jer 30:4-31:40) The Time Of The Never To Be Equaled / Surpassed Distress Of God's People - All Twelve Tribes Of Israel; The Regathering / Restoration Of Both Israel And Judah Together As One People Into A Forever Presence And Possession Of The Entire Promised Land; And The Exhibiting By Them Of Consistent Godliness Constitute The Key Context Of The Fulfillment Of The New Covenant - To The Exclusion Of All Other Times Which Do Not Have All Of This In View

(Jer 30:4 NASB) "Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

(Jer 30:5 NASB) For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace.

(Jer 30:6 NASB) Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale?

(Jer 30:7 NASB) Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it."

¤ [Since both the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah are in view in Jer 30:1-3, ("My people Israel and Judah"); and since the time is described in Jer 30:7 as, "for the day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob's distress" which indicates that the distress in view will never be equaled or exceeded, (refs. Isa 34:1-8; Ezek 30:3-19; Joel 2:1-2, 11; Amos 5:18-20; Mic 1:2-5; Zeph 1:2-3:8; Zech 14:1-8, 12-15; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Matt. 24:15-22); then this time can only refer to the end time when both Kingdoms will be once more joined together as one people forever to occupy and possess the entire Promised Land only after such unexcelled distress occurs in history as a one time event: the time of Jacob's trouble, (cf. Jer 30:7, 24).

Since Abraham there have been great times of distress amongst the Jewish people - one greater than the other, only to be excelled by yet another; but none have occurred which has excelled all the others, (refs. Jer 46:10; Isa 2:12-21; 13:6; 34:1-8; Ezek 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1-2, 11; Amos 5:18-20; Mic 1:2-5; Zeph 1:2-3:8; Zech 14:1-8, 12-15; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Matt. 24:15-22); immediately followed by Israel and Judah being regathered into the Promised Land - the entire Promised Land - to experience spiritual salvation, unsurpassed faithfulness, everlasting life, peace and prosperity, (Jer 31:31-34 ; and Ezek 36:22-27 ; Zech 12:10-13:1). This cannot be the coming fall of Judah to Babylon or to the later fall of Babylon to Medo-Persia, as some contend. There was a time when Judah was given mercy and liberation under the rulership of Cyrus the Persian, who freed Judah from her Babylonian captors, and eventually permitted them to return to Jerusalem. That in part was a time not of Jacob's trouble, but of Babylon's. Furthermore, both of these events and all of the other times of Israel's trouble have not effected the tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. And at no time in history has Israel acted in a consistently godly manner - without sin - corroborating that the LORD had fulfilled His New Covenant with them, right after God rescues His people from their time of greatest distress. The signature passages on the everlasting fulfillment of the New Covenant are Jer 31:31-34 ; Ezek 36:22-27 ; and Ezek 37:21-25 .

So it is evident that the LORD commanded Jeremiah to write these prophecies to assure His people of their salvation / deliverance in a book in order to provide a permanent record for generations to come to read to assure God's chosen people that He would be faithful to His promise of their eternal destiny as one people together forever, especially during the times when God's people were being disciplined for unfaithfulness and were dispersed from the land and under captivity. Since the fulfillment of the New Covenant would be when all Israel would believe in the LORD's promise of deliverance / salvation of all of Israel, there has always been hope of fulfillment for each generation of Israelites based on this Promise should all of a generation of Israel choose to believe in the LORD's provision for their salvation which will evidently earmark Israel's everlasting deliverance, salvation and restoration, (ref. Zech 12:10 ; Isa 53:11 ).

So in view in Jer 30:5 is the time of Jacob's trouble - referring to all twelve tribes of Israel. It will be the greatest time of distress in history. There will be the sound of terror and dread, when there is no peace - only terrifying, overwhelmingly destructive war.

Jeremiah 30:6 indicates that this war will be so great that one will say, "Ask now, and see if a male can give birth?" For the men will have their hands covering their loins, as a woman does in childbirth. They will be sick and overwhelmed with fear and terror, their faces turned pale, frozen in a terrified expression.

And Jer 30:7 states, "Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he [Jacob = Israel] will be saved from it." God will rescue His people in the midst of such great distress.

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(Jer 30:8 NASB) " 'It shall come about on that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves.

(Jer 30:9 NASB) But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them."

¤ Jer 30:8 adds that on that day in the sense of during that future eschatological period of time of unparalleled distress, the LORD of hosts - of innumerable angelic beings - declares that He will break "his yoke" in the sense of breaking the yoke of all of those of "that day" who were oppressing that generation of people of Israel. And there will be many. The Hebrew word " 'ullô" rendered "his yoke," consists of the pronomial suffix "ô" rendered "his" with the noun "ull" rendered "yoke." The suffix is to be taken as a collective pronoun for all oppressors of that generation of God's chosen people Israel, considering the eschatolotical / end times context, (cf. Jer 30:24).

Strangers will no longer make the people of Israel their slaves. Note that this cannot be referring to their release from the bondage of Nebuchadnezzar, for that release was followed in history by further distress and oppression of Israelites at the hands of Greece, Rome, Nazi Germany, etc. The context of Jer 30 is clearly a permanent / forever release from all foreign oppression.

Then in Jer 30:9, the LORD goes on to say, "But they shall serve the LORD their God, (cf. Jer 30:22), and David their king, whom the LORD will raise up for them.

Some contend that Jer 30:9 refers to Jesus Christ as "David." But He is never actually called “David" in the Bible. He is called the Son of David, the Seed of David, and the Root and Offspring of David, but never just “David." Furthermore in Hosea 3:5 and several other Old Testament passages (Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:21-25), the Lord is clearly distinguished from this individual called “David." In other words, in these passages there is reference to “the LORD" Who will rule the world forever from the throne of David, Who is the one written about in Isa 9:6-7 - both man and God ; and the Servant of the LORD of chapters 42, 49, 50 and 52-53 ).

1) [Compare Hos 3:5]:

(Hos 3:5 NASB) "Afterward the sons of Israel will return [Jer 50:4-5] and seek the LORD their God and David their king, [Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:21-25]; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days."

2) [Compare Ezek 34:23-24 & 37:21-25]:

(Ezek 34:23 NASB) "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.

(Ezek 34:24 NASB) And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken."

(Ezek 37:21 NASB) '''Say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

(Ezek 37:22 NASB) and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.

(Ezek 37:23 NASB) They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions [Ezek 36:28-29]; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

(Ezek 37:24 NASB) My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.

(Ezek 37:25 NASB) They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever."

¤ The Bible suggests that there will be several rulers in the Eternal Kingdom of God who will rule under the Lordship of the Servant of the LORD, born of a woman, the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel Who is both God and Man: Isa 49:1-13 and Isa 9:6-7 ; Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all mankind. He is the Redeemer of all mankind . He will be in authority over all those who rule in the Kingdom Age. Moreover, Isaiah 32:1 says, “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." So the Servant / the Messiah will rule with princes under Him.

So the evidence points to the conclusion that in the Eternal Kingdom Age, a resurrected David will rule with others, all subordinate to the Servant of the LORD. This will be preceded by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit leading to Israel’s conversion and perfect sanctification, as described in Zechariah 12:10:

3) [Compare Zech 12:10-14 ]:

(Zech 12:10 NASB) "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, [Ezek 36:26-27 ], so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced [Isa 53:5 ] and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

[Just as in Ezek 36:26-27 and Jer 31:31-34 which have in view the fulfillment of the New Covenant, so Zech 12:10 has in view the same event which includes the LORD pouring out His Spirit on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, i.e., "the Spirit of grace and supplication." And the focus at that time is the Servant Who has been pierced [Isa 53:5 ], Who will restore all of Israel into the Promised Land, (Isa 49:1-6 ).

Notice that a single individual Who was pierced is in view in Zech 12:10 upon Whom all of Israel is looking and acknowledging / believing in Who He is: One Who then cannot be all of Israel, nor David. Hence the Servant in Isa 53:5 Who was pierced is also a single individual, Who cannot be all Israel at the same time, nor David. But He is both God and Man, (Isa 9:6-7).

[Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord & Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, USA, 1988]:

12:10a. Both leaders (the house of David) and commoners (the inhabitants of Jerusalem) - thus excluding no Israelites (cf. 13:1) - will be the objects of the outpouring of the divine spirit of grace and supplication. This is most probably a reference to the Holy Spirit... so called because He will minister graciously to Israel in her sinful condition and will lead her to supplication and repentance.

12:10b. Thus Israelites will receive divine enablement to look on Me, the One they have pierced. The Lord refers to the nation's action of piercing Him, a term usually indicating "piercing to death." ... The "looking" could be either physical vision (sight) or spiritual vision (faith). Probably it refers here to both ... when Israel will recognize her Messiah and turn to Him in faith. The change to the third person (mourn for Him, rather than "mourn for Me") is common in prophetic literature. The mourning for sin that is prompted by the outpoured Spirit is illustrated by a private act of mourning (v. 10) and a public act of mourning (v. 11). The loss of an only child or of a firstborn son was aggravated by the felt curse associated with childlessness and the lack of an heir to continue the family name and property]

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(Jer 30:10 NASB) "Fear not, O Jacob My servant,' declares the LORD, 'And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid.

(Jer 30:11 NASB) For I am with you,' declares the LORD, 'to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished."

¤ In Jer 30:10, the LORD declares a message to Jacob, His people - both Israel and Judah together, (ref. Jer 30:3; cf. Isa 20:3; 41:8-9; 43:10; 44:1-5, 21, 26; 45:4; 48:20). And it is the people of all of Israel who are His chosen people through whom, as servants and messengers of the LORD,

(refs Isa 41:8-9; 20:3; 43:10; 44:1-2, 21, 26; 45:4; 48:20; Jer 30:10; 46:27-28; Ps 136:22 ; but not the Servant of the LORD Who is God and Man - Isaiah chapters 11, 42, 49, 50 & 52-53 );

the message is to be conveyed to the nations of the world about Who the LORD is and His plan of salvation and deliverance to Israel and for all the nations of the world, as stipulated in the New Covenant promises - especially to His chosen people Jacob. And so in Jer 30:10 the LORD says to Jacob 'Fear not,' and 'do not be dismayed,' at the great, unparalleled distress around them. He declares that He will save them and their offspring from the land of their captivity no matter how far away they are. And the LORD promised that a generation of Jacob will return to the land He had promised them. And they will return and all will be quiet and at ease, and no one will make them afraid any longer.

Then in Jer 30:11, the LORD goes on to say that He is with His people to save them, in the sense of always being present with them, preserving them, blessing them, delivering them from difficulties and chastening them, depending upon their faithfulness. For God is a just God:

Through His substitutionary atonement for the sins of all mankind, He will uphold His attribute of Absolute Justice in forgiving the sins and declaring righteous, i.e. justifying (Isa 53:11 ), those who have trusted in Him for that, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ). And all of a generation of Israel will acknowledge / believe in the Servant of the LORD and be justified unto righteousness and eternal life, (Isa 53:11 ), in that future day, (Zech 12:10-14 ). On the other hand, the LORD will destroy all of those who do not believe in His substutionary atonement for them. Thus they who do not believe in Him will remain unjustified forever - wicked in their position and character before Him perishing forever, (ref. Ps 1:4-6; 37:20, 28; 145:20).

So the LORD will restore all of a generation of His people "in that day," (Isa 10:20-23 ), to all of the land that He promised them; and they will always be faithful to Him. For they will be transformed into beings without sin, having all believed in Him, (Isa 53:11 ; Jer 31:31-34 , Ezek 37:25-27 , Zech 12:10-14 ).

Jer 30:11 goes on to say that "in that day" the LORD will destroy completely all the nations that have scattered the generation of His people. But He will not destroy His people completely - implying and corroborating the times in history when they were chastised justly and in part destroyed, but never annihilated completely, leaving a remnant of believers to survive into the next generation until the one generation in that day will all believe and all will be justified and saved forever . For the LORD explained in Jer 30:11, "But I will chasten you justly. And will by no means leave you unpunished," (cf. 2 Kgs 18:9-12; Jer 10:24; 25:8ff; 30:11-15; 46:28; Isa 9:18-10:34).

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(Jer 30:12 NASB) For thus says the LORD, 'Your wound is incurable And your injury is serious.

(Jer 30:13 NASB) There is no one to plead your cause; No healing for your sore, No recovery for you.

(Jer 30:14 NASB) All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the punishment of a cruel one, Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous.

(Jer 30:15 NASB) Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.

(Jer 30:16 NASB) Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; And those who plunder you will be for plunder, And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.

(Jer 30:17 NASB) For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an outcast, saying: 'It is Zion; no one cares for her.' '''

¤ In Jer 30:12-15, the LORD continued to admonish Jacob, His people, Israel for their unfaithfulness - their great iniquity, their numerous sins for which He punished them severely; and for which there is no healing, nor recovery. Verses 12-15 state multiple times that there was no healing for the nation's wounds.

First, in Jer 30:12, the LORD, declared that Israel's wound is incurable, her injury serious. His admonishment of Israel's incurable wound, her serious injury, i.e., her unfaithness was in answer to their evident complaint that they were being unjustly punished. The punishment was evidently the wounds she has received from her enemies because of her flagrant sins.

Hence in Jer 30:13, the LORD concludes that, "There is no one to plead [Israel's] cause; No healing for [her] sore, No recovery for [her]." Israel's sins have evidently been flagrant, grievous and frequent; and God had struck her as an enemy and punished her because of her guilt. Israel's transgressions were at the root of all of her calamaties. She had no right to complain of her punishment since she amply deserved it. And verse 13 indicates that there is no hope of Israel's recovery in the sense that Israel's problem of transgressions against God cannot be resolved through her own efforts. Her problem is internal and systemic. Since repentant behavior is not possible with mortal sinful man ; God must provide a means by which His people and all mankind might be transformed into godly acting people; which is via a moment of faith alone in the Servant's substitutionary atonement - no unworthy proactive actions: one individual at a time. For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins, Lev 17:11 .

Then in Jer 30:14a the LORD reiterates the consequences of Israel's incurable, irrevocable unfaithfulness to Him, "All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you," in the sense of all of the gods, allies, treaty partners and friends Judah and Israel worship and relied upon in spiritual adultery have failed or forgotten her: Egypt especially, who failed to provide protection when she encouraged Judah to revolt against Babylon. Nor do any gods besides the LORD God exist anyway, (ref Isa 45:5, 21-22, 46:9).

And the LORD went on to state in 14b, "For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the punishment of a cruel one, because your iniquity is great and your sins are numerous."

Whereupon in Jer 30:15, the LORD asked, "Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you." The LORD establishes that He is the One behind all of Israel's persecution, and for a wholly justifiable reason: her great iniquity and numerous sins.

Then in Jer 30:16, addressing the destiny of Israel's oppressors, the LORD declared, "Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; And those who plunder you will be for plunder, And all who prey upon you I will give for prey." There will be a measure for measure retaliation, (Gen 12:1-3; 27:29; Nu 24:9). Those in history and in "that day" will have received like retaliation for their devouring of, being an adversary of, taking into captivity, plundering or preying upon Israel.

Why did the Lord consider the mistreatment of His nation so great an offense? Because the words and actions of the enemies revealed their disregard of God and his expressed purpose for His people to be His servants representing Him to the nations of the world - Who He is and His salvation. He was completely devalued by their treatment of His people. Ultimately, calling Jacob an outcast impugned God's faithfulness to his elect people.

And in Jer 30:17, the good news is that the LORD declares that He will restore His people to health and heal their wounds, evidently unilaterally because Israel's wound is incurable, with no one to plead her cause, nor healing, nor recovery available, (vv. 12-15). And the LORD's motivation to restore His people, He declared was, "Because they have called you an outcast, saying: 'It is Zion; no one cares for her." The point of view of the nations of the world mattered when it came to respect for God's chosen people.

Notice that it is not as a result of anything Israel does, or even can do. It is because the nations of the world called her an outcast, and because no one cares for her, His people who represent Him. God would not allow the world to think that way about, nor not care for His beloved people, Israel. Hence it is evident that He will act unilaterally to restore a generation of His people, (cf Ezek 36:22-27 ); on the basis of the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD, born of a woman, the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel Who is both God and Man, (refs, Isa 49:1-13 and Isa 9:6-7 ); Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all mankind. Furthermore, He is the Redeemer of all mankind ; and He will be in authority over all mankind and all those who rule under him in the Kingdom Age and forever, (Isa 9:6-7).

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(Jer 30:18 NASB) Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, And the palace will stand on its rightful place.

(Jer 30:19 NASB) From them will proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who celebrate; And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.

(Jer 30:20 NASB) Their children also will be as formerly, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all their oppressors.

(Jer 30:21 NASB) Their leader shall be one of them, And their ruler shall come forth from their midst; And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?' declares the LORD.

(Jer 30:22 NASB) You shall be My people, And I will be your God.'''

¤ In Jer 30:18 the LORD says that He will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, And the palace will stand on its rightful place." So not only will the LORD restore prosperity to His people, Jacob; but He will include in that prosperity their dwelling places. And the city will be rebuilt on its former location, as well as the palace - the residence of the king that the LORD has chosen to rule Israel. The tents and dwellings do not refer to the peoples' temporary housing in Babylon or elsewhere, as some contend in order to make their current situation part of the context of Jeremiah chapter 30, but to the wretched condition of their houses in the homeland at the time of "that day."

And in Jer 30:19, Jacob will express thanksgiving to the LORD, and the LORD will multiply them, and honor them and they will not be insignificant any longer, (v. 17). The nations of the world will honor them for their relationship and status with the LORD. So along with material prosperity will come thanksgiving and celebration of their permanently restored relationship / fellowship with the LORD. Their numbers will grow exponentially, as will their reputation which will never again be diminished. They will be honored by the LORD; and highly esteemed by all of the nations of the world.

Then Jer 30:20 goes on to say that the children of Jacob, the people of Israel will be as formerly in the sense of their former time of prosperity, and their congregation will be established before the LORD in faithful worship; and He will retaliate, in kind, all those who have oppressed His people, Israel.

Then in Jer 30:21, the LORD announced that the leader of Israel, their ruler shall be an Israelite; and not a foreign ruler which has always resulted in further oppression.

4) [Compare Jer 30:9]:

(Jer 30:9 NASB) "But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them."

5) [Compare Ezek 34:23-24 & 37:21-25]:

(Ezek 34:23 NASB) "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.

(Ezek 34:24 NASB) And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken."

(Ezek 37:24 NASB) My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.

6) [Compare Zechariah 6:12-13]:

(Zech 6:12 NASB) '''Then say to him, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.

(Zech 6:13 NASB) Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.' " '''

So the evidence points to the conclusion that in the Eternal Kingdom Age, a resurrected David will rule with others, all subordinate to the Servant of the LORD, Who is God. The Servant of the LORD, the One born unto Israel will rule over the whole world from the throne of David:

7) [Compare Isa 9:6-7 ; cf. Isa 52:1-53:12 ]:

(Isa 9:6 NKJV) For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

(Isa 9:7 NKJV) "Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this,"

So in Jer 30:21 the LORD will bring the leader of Israel near and that ruler, most likely the resurrected David will approach the LORD in the sense that he will have the authority and permission to approach God. The phrase rendered, "For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?" implies that the ruler has been sanctified by God as a priest who may approach Him, (cf Jer 50:44; Lev chs 10 & 21). Hence the ruler in view cannot be the Servant of the LORD, for He hardly needs authority and permission to approach God. He is God.

Finally, in Jer 30:22, the LORD reiterates His key purpose to the fulfillment of the New Covenant: so that "You shall be My people, And I will be your God."

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(Jer 30:23 NASB) Behold, the tempest of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping tempest; It will burst on the head of the wicked.

(Jer 30:24 NASB) The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and until He has accomplished The intent of His heart; In the latter days you will understand this.'''

¤ Jer 30:23 & 24 are a repetition of Jer 23:19-20. Jeremiah uses the figure of a sudden storm, a tempest, to characterize the LORD's sweeping wrath which will burst upon the head of the wicked. And He will continue His fierce anger until He has accomplished His purpose - the intent of His heart. This will all be better understood by those living in the latter, i.e., the last days - the end times.

8) [Compare Jer 23:19-20]:

(Jer 23:19 NASB) "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.

(Jer 23:20 NASB) The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it."

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(Jer 31:1 NASB) " 'At that time,' declares the LORD, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.' [Jer 30:22; Gen 17:7-8; Isa 41:10]

¤ Jer 31:1 is essentially part of the context of the last verse of the previous chapter 30. For the phrase rendered "At that time," in Jer 31:31 indicates a yet future time in view of the context of the previous verse, Jer 30:24, (cf. Jer 23:20). Both Jer 30:24 and 23:20 have the Hebrew phrase transliterated "bĕ'ăḥărît haāyymîm" literally "in the last of the days" which conveys the time frame of the passge as rendered in the NASB "In the latter days" or "last days," in 23:20 - the end times. It refers to final things such as the establishment of the mountain of the house of the LORD as the chief of the mountains forever, (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1); and when the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king forever, (Hos 3:5). It is especially true that it is those last days because the conditions of the new covenant have not yet been fulfilled precisely as stipulated which rules out partial or temporal fulfillment : Those conditions will not be fulfilled until, "all the families of Israel... shall be My people," forever - not just Judah or Israel, but all the families of people of Jacob. For example, Jer 30:22 has all of the people of the twelve tribes in view. And in the "last times" all twelve tribes of Israel and Judah shall be the people of God, and He shall be their God forever, with no interruptions.

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(Jer 31:2 NASB) "Thus [has said] the LORD, '[A] people who survived [lit., the survivors of] the sword [Nu 14:20] [will have] found grace in the wilderness, when [I will come to give him (a people) rest] - Israel' [Ex 33:14; Nu 10:33; Dt 1:33; Jos 1:13]"

¤ Thus the LORD has said, "A people who survived the sword," evidently referring to the Northern Tribes surviving the Assyrian onslaught and dispersement of them, they "will have found grace in the wilderness," in the sense that their future experience of God's grace will lead them into the desert / wilderness for their [all of Israel's - Judah's and Israel's together] new and final Exodus into the Promised Land to possess it forever.

9) [Compare Jer 16:14-15; cf. 23:7-8]:

(Jer 16:14 NASB) "Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

[Notice that all of Israel is in view here]

(Jer 16:15 NASB) but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.' "

[And the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is included in this verse as well - not just Judah]

10) [Compare Hos 2:14-15]:

(Hos 2:14 NASB) "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Bring her into the wilderness And speak kindly to her.

(Hos 2:15 NASB) Then I will give her her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt."

[References to the first Exodus have in view all twelve tribes of Israel]

[Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

"[Hos 2:15] God will not only speak consolingly; He will give Israel's vineyards back to her. In the historical parallel, this means that as soon as the future Israel has passed through her wilderness and entered her Canaan, she will receive again the vineyards that had been taken away (v. 12). The Valley of Achor, a place of trouble and disgrace at the time of Israel's entrance into Canaan under Joshua (cf. Achan's sin and punishment—Josh 7:24-26), will in the future be "a door of hope." So Israel's future response in song-filled thanksgiving will be as when she entered Canaan the first time... in the future day there will be even greater praise, when the people return to their land and [the Servant of the LORD ] is their King."

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(Jer 31:3 NASB ) "the LORD appeared to him [lit., "me" in the MT. The LXX* has "him" in the sense of the people of Israel, masc. sing.] from far away. 'I have loved you with an everlasting love [Dt 4:37; 7:8; Mal 1:2]; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.'

*(Jer 38:3 LXX) "The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore have I drawn thee in compassion."

¤ The LORD appeared to him, [LXX correction] i.e., to His people Israel from far away. He said that He has loved them with an everlasting love. Therefore, He has continued to extend faithful love to them - because His love for them is an everlasting love. So the motivation for God's future restoration of the nation is His everlasting love which He will freely bestow on His people - unilaterally, (cf. Hosea 11:4; 14:4; Zeph. 3:17) and His faithful love, i.e., His loving-kindness (cf. Jer. 9:24; 32:18; Lam. 3:32; Dan. 9:4). God had made a covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:4-21 ) and another covenant with the nation Israel (Ex. 19:3-8; Lev. 26; Deut. 28:1-30:10), and the New Covenant with Israel as well (Jer 31:31-34 ; Ezek 36:22-27 ); and He vowed to stay faithful to His commitments. Israel could look forward to experiencing God's blessing.

In Jer 31:3, Jeremiah states that the LORD appeared to ["him" = Israel, LXX], referring to the analogy of the Exodus so that the people would recall the unparalleled love and grace that God had extended to them "in the past" (lit., "from afar"). Jeremiah underscores the Lord's everlasting love - his continuing to extend His faithful loving kindness to His people.

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(Jer 31:4 NASB) "Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! [2 Ki 19:21; Jer 30:18] Again you will take up [or be adorned with] your tambourines, and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. [Jer 24:6; 33:7; 30:19]"

¤ Jer 31:4 addresses Israel as a virgin, signifying God's gracious forgiveness resulting in Israel's being viewed by God as undefiled despite her unfaithfulness - implying that the Lord sees her just as appealing as in the time of her departure from Egypt (cf. Jer 2:1-3; Hos 2:14-23). God's grace has evidently erased all of Israel's failures of the past. Both rebuilding and joy are promised to Israel - as part of the fulfillment of the New Covenant. Since the imagery of the Exodus is in view from the previous verse, then all Israel is in view - all twelve tribes. Contrasted with the sorrow of the Exile (Ps 137:1) is the use of tambourines at dances in times of rejoicing (cf. Exod 15:20).

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(Jer 31:5 NKJV) "You shall yet plant vines [Ps 107:37; Isa 65:21; Ezek 28:26; Amos 9:14] on the mountains of Samaria; [Jer 33:13; 50:19] the planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary [i.e., common] food [Isa 37:30; Am 9:14]."

¤ Jer 31:5 portrays a time of peace and prosperity as the people plant their vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Free from external threats, they will be able to enjoy their fruit as common fruit indicating peaceful times when the fruit of the vine is common / ordinary - not so much in times of conflict and war, (cf. Lev. 26:16; Deut. 28:33; Micah 4:4; Zech. 3:9-10). Note that the law of Moses did not permit the Hebrews to eat the fruit of the first three years. Fruit of the fourth year was given to God, but it could be redeemed and eaten as common food (cf. Lev 19:23-25; cf. also Deut 20:6; 28:30). Thus Jeremiah's reference to the vineyards implies that Israel will be settled in her land and enjoying it under normal, peaceful conditions.

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(Jer 31:6 NKJV) For there shall be a day When the watchmen [Isa 52:8; 56:10] will cry on Mount Ephraim, 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.' [Isa 2:3; Jer 31:12; 50:4, 5; Dt 33:19; Mic 4:2]

¤ Then in Jer 31:6, the prophet Jeremiah writes of the day when the watchman will cry out the call for worshipping the LORD our God. According to Jewish tradition watchers were appointed for the appearance of the moon, from which their months were counted. Here the watchmen on the hills of Samaria are to show the Northern Kingdom how to go up to Jerusalem to keep the feasts, as the pilgrimage feasts were annually observed in ancient times (cf. Deut 16:16). This will mark the end of the disruption of the kingdom of Solomon in 930 B.C. Ephraim's (Israel's) condition in blessing will be permanent because Jeroboam's misleading them from the Lord's sanctuary will be a thing of the past, when they return to Zion. The breach of many centuries will at last be healed. It will be a time of renewed commitment to the Lord. The watchmen stationed on the hills of Ephraim will summon the people to go up to Zion to worship the LORD. Samaria, the last and most important capital of the Northern Kingdom, and Ephraim, its most important tribe, often represents the entire nation of Israel, as it does in this passage, (cf. Jer 31:1-2). For the “watchmen on Mount Ephraim" to urge their people to “go up to Zion" presages a reuniting of the Northern with the Southern Kingdom in loyalty to the LORD, whose Temple was in Zion/Jerusalem.

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(Jer 31:7 NASB) "For thus says the LORD, 'Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise and say, 'O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel."

¤ In Jer 31:7 it states that God's restoration will be accompanied by songs of joy and the praises of the people for His salvation of them. They were told to:

"Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob," referring to the whole of the nation of Israel, the Northern Kingdom and Judah, (cf. Jer 46:28). Note that 31:9 refers to Ephraim, often used to refer to the Northern Kingdom as well which has by this time been in exile more than 100 years];

"And shout among the chief of the nations," referring to Israel as the head of all of the nations of the world [Dt 26:19; 28:13; Isa 61:9; Amos 6:1] - confirming the timeframe to be during the end times and refuting the idea of a partial fulfillment before that;

"proclaim, give praise and say, 'O LORD, save Your people, [Ps 28:9], the remnant of Israel," [Ps 14:7; Jer 20:13; Isa 37:31; Jer 23:3].

Note that the phrase rendered, " 'O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel" defines the scope of the New Covenant to be all of those of a generation of Israel all of whom will exercise faith in the LORD's provision of salvation through His Servant, which in the case of the fulfillment of the New Covenant will be all of that generation, (ref. Zech 12:10-14 ).

Since the New Covenant will be fulfilled when all of a generation of Israel is restored in the Promised Land, saved unto eternal life in sinless perfection, (ref. Jer 31:31-34 and Ezek 36:22-27 );

and since justification unto salvation unto eternal life of each individual requires a moment of faith alone in the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD alone, (ref. Isa 53:11 );

then it is true that all individuals of a generation of Jews will believe in the substitutionary atonement of Servant of the LORD, (ref. Isa 53:11), resulting only at that time and no other in the once and forever complete fulfillment of the New Covenant.

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(Jer 31:8 NASB) Behold, I am bringing them from the north country [Jer 3:18; 23:8], and I will gather them [Dt 30:4; Isa 43:6; Ezek 34:13] from the remote parts of the earth, among them the blind [Isa 42:16] and the lame, [Isa 40:11; Ezek 34:16; Mic 4:6] the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; a great company [lit., assembly], they will return here."

¤ In the past, “The north country" was the source of the threatened calamities. And it will be in the future when the LORD will protect and restore a generation of His people from the completion of their final calamity. When the calamaty comes, it will come from the north, as other calamities had come upon Israel and then Judah in the past. In the end times Israel's return will be from the north where most of Israel’s exiled population had been taken in the past, as well as "from the remote parts of the earth." The classes of persons mentioned in v. 8 were thought incapable of hard travel or of survival if forced to it. Yet even these God would bring safely home. The return would be complete, not like the return from Babylon, where many decided to remain, even those who normally would be left behind. Also no one will be too insignificant for the Lord to deliver him. God will restore the blind and the lame along with expectant mothers. There will be universal participation:

Since the New Covenant will be fulfilled when all of a generation of Israel is restored in the Promised Land, saved unto eternal life in sinless perfection, (refs. Jer 31:31-34 and Ezek 36:22-27 );

and since justification unto salvation unto eternal life of each individual requires a moment of faith alone in the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD alone, (ref. Isa 53:11 );

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(Jer 31:9 YLT) "[Ps 125:5; Jer 50:4] With weeping they come in, and with supplications I bring them, I cause them to go by streams of waters, [Isa 43:20; 49:10] on a straight path in which] - they stumble not in it, [Isa 63:13] for I have been to Israel for a father, [Isa 64:8; Jer 3:4, 19] and Ephraim [referring to all of Israel, esp. Ephraim = the Northern Kingdom] - My first born is he [Ex 4:22]."

¤ In Jer 31:9 in view is the regathering of Israel which will be accompanied by weeping and supplications / prayers. As God leads these people on their new Exodus into Israel He will provide for their every need. He will guide the people beside streams of water (cf. Ex. 15:22-25; Num. 20:2-13; Ps. 23:2) and they will travel on a level path so they will not stumble. "Rivers of waters in a straight way" would make the journey possible for all. No one will be too far away for the LORD to restore him; God will gather all of His people from all the ends of the earth. God will do all this because of His special relationship to Israel. He is Israel's father (Deut. 32:6), and Ephraim (referring to all the tribes but with an emphasis on the Northern tribes of Israel which have been exiled longer) is his firstborn son (cf. Ex. 4:22). Jeremiah used the image of a father/son relationship to show God's deep love for His people (cf. Hosea 11:1, 8).

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(Jer 31:10 NASB) "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare in the coastlands afar off, [Isa 66:19, Jer 25:22], and say 'He who scattered Israel will [Jer 50:19] gather him and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock [Isa 40:11; Ezek 34:12]."

¤ The message of Jer 31:10 is that the word of the LORD is to be spread afar, throughout the nations of the world, [Isa 66:19, Jer 25:22] - that the Lord will regather Israel. The nations will be told that it was the Lord who exiled his people and that it is He who will restore them [Jer 50:19]. It is He Who will keep Israel as a shepherd keeps his flock [Isa 40:11; Ezek 34:12]. The figure of shepherd and flock portrays the dual concepts of tenderness and concern. Just as the Lord alone was responsible for Israel's chastisement, so now it is He alone who will regather them, evidently not because of anything that any of His chosen people will do to merit that restoration.

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(Jer 31:11 NASB) "For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him [Isa 44:23; 48:20; Jer 15:21; 50:34] from the hand of him who was stronger than he." [Ps 142:6]

¤ In Jer 31:10 it stipulates that the Lord will gather and keep His people Israel as a shepherd keeps his flock; whereupon in Jer 31:11 it explains how this will have come about by stating that the LORD will have ransomed and redeemed Jacob [Israel] by purchasing His people from the hand of him who was stronger than Jacob - a stronger more powerful ruling people than Israel, (the LORD Himself having paid the ransom price); and the LORD has delivered them, (the LORD Himself having redeemed them from their enslavement to that rulership unto their forever restoration into the Promised Land. Their enslavement was caused by the LORD because of Israel's unfaithfulness - her sins, (cf. Jer 10:24; 25:8ff; 30:11-15 ; 46:28; Isa 9:18-10:34; 2 Kgs 18:9-12). And Israel will be redeemed in the sense that the LORD will have paid the ransom for Israel's unfaithfulness through the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ), thus releasing the LORD to unilaterally redeem, restore and transform His people unto possession, prosperity and faithfulness forever in the Promised Land. The word rendered "Redeemed" means to have been delivered from something by paying a price. In the case of Jer 31:11, Jacob has been delivered from sin by the payment for his sins by another - by the Servant of the LORD, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ) to once again become the people of the LORD, (ref. Jer 31:1). And Jacob has been therefore "ransomed" which means to have achieved the transfer of ownership from one to another through payment of a price or an equivalent substitute. In the case of Jacob (Israel) being ransomed, the payment was made through the redemption by the Servant of the LORD, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ). God will do this for Israel unilaterally by grace, - without anything of merit on the part of Jacob.

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(Jer 31:12 HOLMAN) "They will [have] come [in] and [have shouted] for joy [Jer 31:6-7; Ezek 17:23] on the heights of Zion; they will be [have been] radiant with joy [Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1] because of the LORD's goodness, because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil, and because of the young of the flocks and herds [Hos 2:22; Joel 3:18; Jer 31:24; 33:12-13]. Their life will [have been] like an irrigated garden, [Isa 58:11] and they will no longer grow weak [from hunger] [Isa 35:10; 60:20; 65:19]."

¤ In Jer 31:12, promises are heaped one upon another - predictions of joy, return to Jerusalem, nature transformed and a new prosperity. Israel's regathering (like a flock of sheep; cf. Jer 23:3; Micah 2:12; 5:4; 7:14) will be accompanied by a renewal of God's material blessings. All of a future generation of Jacob (Israel) will be restored to the Promised Land, and will rejoice in the bounty of crops (cf. Jer. 31:5) and flocks and herds. Jeremiah compared Jacob's material wealth to a well-watered garden that was producing in abundance (cf. Deut. 30:5, 9). When the people come to Zion, they will find every need supplied. God's "bounty" (lit., "goodness") includes material blessings as the text shows.

The commodities mentioned in v. 12 (grain, new wine, fresh olive oil, lambs, kids and calves) represented abundance and, more importantly, the promise of continued abundance. These things would have been among the most welcomed of God’s promised blessings in the coming restoration. So all of a generation of Jacob will be ransomed, redeemed, rejoicing and restored to the Promised Land - forever.

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(Jer 31:13 NASB) Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, [Jud 21:21; Ps 30:11; Zech 8:4-5], and the young men and the old, together, for I will [have turned] their mourning into joy [Isa 61:3] and will [have comforted] them and [have given] them joy for their sorrow [Isa 51:11].

(Jer 38:13 Septuagint) Then shall the virgins rejoice in the assembly of youth, and the old men shall rejoice; and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will make them merry.

¤ This outpouring of blessing will produce gladness, comfort, and joy (cf. Jer. 31:4, 7). Never again will God's people express sorrow as they will express in the future time of Jacob's unsurpassed distress, (ref. Jer 30:7), which is far more than they did in the past. The Septuagint renders the first part of v. 13, “Then shall the virgins rejoice in the assembly of youth, and the old men shall rejoice; and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will make them merry," which makes better sense.

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(Jer 31:14 NASB) "I will fill [lit., saturate] the soul of the priests with abundance [lit., abundance], and My people will be satisfied with My goodness [Jer 50:19],' declares the LORD."

¤ So great will be the prosperity bestowed on them that the priests will be satiated because of the many sacrifices brought by the worshipers (v.14; cf. Lev 7:34). With abundant harvests, the portions of the priests will increase. The priests did not have an inheritance of land in the economy of ancient Israel. They were to depend on the tithes and the generosity of their fellow Israelites. The priests would also share in the coming restoration of bounty. The “fatness" they would receive would consist partly in the choice portions of the sacrifices that were to be theirs, according to the Levitical regulations. But the fat of the animal sacrifices, strictly speaking, belonged to the Lord and was supposed to be burned on the altar. This notice concerning the priests refers to their share in that which God would lavish upon all Israel.

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(Jer 31:15 NASB) "Thus says the LORD, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."

¤ (Jer 31:15) Rachel, the wife of Jacob, was Joseph and Benjamin's mother, hence she is the ancestress of the three tribes Ephraim, Manasseh, (these two tribes through Joseph), and the tribe of Benjamin, (Gen 37:1-50:26). She had so desired children that while she had not yet conceived, she considered herself dead without them, (Gen 30:1). So the loss of her son Joseph (thought to have been killed by a wild animal) was a highly mournful experience for her and Jacob, (Gen 37:33-35). Before she could arrive in Egypt to be reunited with her son, Joseph, she died on the way with Jacob at Ephrat, (Bethlehem), (Gen 48:7). Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, who became the two major tribes in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Rachel's other son, Benjamin also left for Egypt to join his brothers. So Jeremiah wrote in Jer 31:15 that Rachel was weeping, in a figurative sense, because of the loss of her descendant / children through her immediate two sons, who were killed or taken into captivity over the years. For the two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh via Joseph, more than the rest of the nation, suffered exile at the hands of the Assyrians in the aftermath of the defeat of 721 B.C. So Rachel lost her children more than did Leah, Bilhah or Zilpah (cf. Gen. 29-30). Hence Jeremiah was portraying the weeping of Rachel to be symbolic of the women of the Northern Kingdom as they watched their children being carried off into exile in 722 B.C. Much of the rest of the nation already had been separated off from Israel before that final defeat and deportation. Nevertheless, Jeremiah might also have had the 586 B.C. deportation of Judah in view because Ramah was the staging point for Nebuchadnezzar's deportation which Jeremiah himself was in that camp for exiles in Ramah (Jer 40:1). Since Rachel was also the mother of Benjamin, then the Babylonian captivity would also be in view because those in Ramah were Benjamites, descendants of her son, Benjamin. For Ramah of Judah was on the border of the terrritory of Benjamin with Ephraim, of the Northern Kingdom, Israel; and Rachel had passed near Ramah; she herself died not far away, at Ephrat (Bethlehem). So Jeremiah figuratively referred to Rachel's voice in Ramah weeping for all of her descendant children killed or taken into captivity throughout the centuries due to Israel's unfaithfulness.

Finally, Rachel will figuratively weep all the more in view of Israel's future and unparalleled losses at the time of Jacob's Trouble, (Jer 30:7 ).

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In what sense was Herod's slaughter of the babies (Matt. 2:17-18) a "fulfillment" of Jeremiah 31:15? Jeremiah pointed to an Old Testament deportation of children from a town north of Jerusalem; Matthew used the passage to explain the New Testament slaughter of children in a village south of Jerusalem. The answer to the problem hinges on Matthew's use of the word "fulfilled" (plēroō). Though Matthew did use the word to record an actual fulfillment of an Old Testament prediction (cf., e.g., Matt. 21:4-5 with Zech. 9:9), he also used the word to indicate something comparable in the Old Testament had been realized (cf. Matt. 3:15; 5:17). In these latter instances there is no prophetic significance to the word "fulfill," which is how Matthew used the word to associate the slaughter in Bethlehem with the comparable sadness in Ramah. Matthew used Jeremiah 31:15 in his book (Matt. 2:17-18) to explain the sadness of the mothers of Bethlehem. The pain of those mothers in Ramah who watched their sons being carried into exile was comparable with the cries of the mothers of Bethlehem who cradled their sons' lifeless bodies in their arms.

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(Jer 31:16 NASB) "Thus [has declared] the LORD, 'Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; [Isa 25:8; 30:19] for your work will be rewarded,' declares the LORD, 'And they will return from the land of the enemy.' [Jer 30:3; Ezek 11:17]

(Jer 31:17 NASB) 'There is hope for your future,' declares the LORD, 'And your children will return to their own territory. [Jer 29:11]' "

¤ In Jer 31:16, with Rachel figuratively in view from verse 15 representing all the women of Israel and Judah who wept for their exiled children, God offered a word of comfort to His people: They were to restrain their voices from weeping and their eyes from tears. Their (faithful) work will be rewarded. There was hope for their future because their children - a future generation of Israelites - will return from the land of the enemy to their own land. And God will unilaterally bring about their restoration, (Jer 31:31-34 ).

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(Jer 31:18 NASB) ''' "I have surely heard Ephraim grieving [Jer 3:21], 'You have chastised me [Job 5:17; Ps 94:12], and I was chastised, like an untrained calf [lit., bull calf] [Hos 4:16]; bring me back that I may be restored, [Ps 80:3, 7, 19; Jer 17:14; Lam 5:21] for you are the LORD my God.' " '''

¤ In Jer 31:18, the LORD said, "I have surely heard Ephraim [Israel] grieving." And Ephraim, the people of Israel, were saying to the LORD 'You have chastised me; and I was chastised, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored for you are the LORD my God.' " So The people of Ephraim expressed sorrow for their sins. And they prayed for the Lord to restore them back into their land. In grief over their own waywardness, they reviewed the Lord's dealings with them. They admitted that they have been brought under the chastisement of the Lord. They were chastised like a stubborn, untrained calf, stubborn in need of discipline. Through the LORD's gracious, unilateral actions they will have come to acknowledge these things as true and will have learned the value and justice of the LORD's disciplining of them; and they will request to be brought back into the Promised Land so that its possesson might be restored to them and they might experience faithfulness to all of God's laws. They will acknowledge and confess that He is the LORD and their God, evidently having repented from the centuries of their rebellion against the LORD because of the LORD's unilateral action within them, (Ezek 36:22-27 ) in fulfillment of the New Covanant, (Jer 31:31-34 ).

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(Jer 31:19 HOLMAN) "[For after my turning back] I [have] repented; after [my knowing], I struck my thigh [in grief] [Ezek 21:12]. I [have been] ashamed and also humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth [Jer 3:11-25].

¤ In the previous verse, Jer 31:18, Ephraim [Israel] in grief recognized the error of his ways before God. Having been chastised like a stubborn, untrained calf and desiring to be restored, Ephraim recognized that God is his LORD and his God."

Then in Jer 31:19, it is explained that a generation of the people of Ephraim [Israel] will turn back to the LORD and tell Him that they have repented, as exemplified by having struck the thigh in grief [Ezek 21:12]. (Note that it was a custom in the Near East to show remorse by striking the thigh). They will confess that they have been ashamed and humiliated because of bearing the disgrace of their youth, (cf. Jer 3:11-25). Note that the New Covenant promises that the LORD will unilaterally transform all of a generation of Ephraim [Israel] into individuals with God's laws implanted within their minds wherein they will all live faithful lives, their sins will all have been forgiven - sins which they will all have now become ashamed of and humiliated by having committed them - all as a result of God's transformation of them into faithful beings. They will turn back to the LORD, and they will all have repented from their sins unto faithfulness as a result of God's grace in transforming them, not by anything that they would do or merit, (refs. Jer 31:31-34 and Ezek 36:22-27 ).

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(Jer 31:20 HOLMAN) "Isn't Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? [Hos 11:8] Whenever I speak against him, I certainly still think about him. Therefore, My inner being yearns for him [Judges 10:16; Isa 63:15; Hos 11:8]; I will truly have compassion on him. [This is] the LORD's declaration."

¤ Jer 31:20 is the motivation behind the LORD's resolution to Ephraim's chastisement. The LORD declares "Isn't Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Whenever I speak against him, I certainly still think about him. Therefore, My inner being yearns for him; I will truly have compassion on him. [This is] the LORD's declaration."

Previously Jeremiah wrote in Jer 31:19 of a generation of the people of Israel's future cry of contrition that they will recite when they will be restored to the promised Land as a result of His transformation of them unto faithfulness, (refs. Jer 31:31-34 and Ezek 36:22-27 ).

Then in Jer 31:20, the prophet wrote that the LORD will always have compassion for His people, despite their unfaithfulness which has gone on for centuries, (refs, Jer 30:12-15 ; 25:8ff; Isa 1:1-31; 9:8-10:34; 2 Kgs 18:9-12). Just as the Lord has continually denounced the sins of His people, He has also frequently declared his compassion for them as well. Albeit there were times that He declared that certain generations of His people were no longer His people, (ref. Hos 1:1-2:23 ). Nevertheless the LORD's Fatherly tenderness toward His people has prevailed through it all. Though they will have strayed - the times of Jacob's Trouble being evidence of their continued unfaithfulness, (Jer 30:7 ; cf. Jer. 3:11-25; 31:19) - a generation of them will be unilaterally transformed by God into faithful, contrite individuals, (ref. Jer 31:31-34 ; Ezek 36:22-27 ). And when they return to their God they will express shame and humliation because of their past sins, (v. 18); and God in turn will express His great compassion for His wayward but returning nation (Jer 31:19; cf. Hosea 2:16-23):

11) [Compare Jer 31:31-34 ]:

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(Jer 31:21 NKJV) "Set up signposts, Make landmarks; set your heart [mind] toward the highway, the way in which you went [Isa 52:11-12 ]. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these your cities."

¤ The LORD has commanded a generation of Ephraim [of all of Israel & Judah] to set up signposts, make landmarks; set their hearts [minds] toward the highway, the way in which you went. And the LORD declared to them, "Turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these your cities" [in the Promised Land]. Notice that the context is within the heart, i.e., the mind in the sense of a committment within the seat of ones mental and emotional capacity to establish signposts and landmarks and the highway to Jerusalem. It is not practicable to be referring here to the actual posting of physical signposts, landmarks, and 'the highway,' because these things will not have survived the centuries of time from Jeremiah's time unto the end times in the 21st century or later. Nor does it take into account the locations of Jews worldwide. For each group would have to set up their own particular signposts, landmarks and their highway. And this zone of the world looks forward to many destructive wars and one unsurpassed war (Armegeddon) which would level any system dedicated to pointing the way to Jews toward Jersualem. Rather Jer 31:21 is a matter of faith alone: the signposts, landmarks and the highway are those to be set in the heart / mind based on that generation of Israelites' universal faith in the LORD to provide directions to them in order for them to be restored back into their land from all over the world, (cf. Isa 49:1-6 ; 42:6 ).

On the matter of the last phrase in Jer 31:21 rendered, "Turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these your cities," Jeremiah 31:4 also addresses Israel as a virgin. Both passages signify God's gracious forgiveness resulting in Israel's being viewed by God as undefiled despite her unfaithfulness - implying that the Lord sees her just as appealing as in the time of her departure from Egypt (cf. Jer 2:1-3; Hos 2:14-23). God's grace will evidently erase all of Israel's failures of that particular generation when they all express a moment of faith in the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD - the key to the fulfillment of the New Covenant, (Isa 53:11 ). Both rebuilding and joy are promised to Israel as part of the fulfillment of the New Covenant as well, (Jer 31:31-34 ).

The message of Jer 31:21 is one of encouragement to each generation of Israel throughout the centuries - all of whom have had or will have the opportunity to repent unto a moment of faith in the Messiah / Savior - the Servant of the LORD's substitutionary atonement for justification unto eternal life, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ). And when all of a generation of Israel repents unto faith in Him, it is then that they will be restored to the Promised Land, (Isa 49:1-6 ). They will be forgiven of all of their sins; receive the Spirit; be transformed into individuals with God's laws implanted within their minds wherein they will all live faithful lives, (Jer 31:31-34 & Ezek 36:22-27 ). They will be ruled forever by the Servant of the LORD, Who was born of Israel, both God and Man, (Isa 9:6-7 ) - which Land is the Eternal Kingdom of God .

Note that Judah's return from exile in Babylon cannot be a partial fulfillment of the New Covenant which the latter only has a forever faithful return / restoration of all of Israel and Judah in view. Furthermore, the tribes of the exiled Northern Kingdom were not included in the return from Babylon. Nor was the return from Babylon even 100% of the 50,000 in captivity, because most of the exiles chose to remain in Babylon. Nor was the return a forever fulfillment without repeating the unfaithfulness leading to further destruction and dispersement such as in AD 70.

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(Jer 31:22 NASB) "How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth - a woman will encompass a man."

¤ In Jer 31:22, the LORD asks His people, "How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter?" in the sense of berating them for being unfaithful to Him, hence sinful, where ever they went - where ever He sent them via a nation which He sent to conquer them. Yet He continued to call them His "daughter," albeit "His faithless [lit., "rebellious] daughter."

Although His people have been unfaithful to the LORD throughout their history (refs, Jer 10:24; 25:8ff; 30:11-15 ; 46:28; Isa 9:18-10:34; 2 Kgs 18:9-12), in the future she will finally seek out her God and ask to be united with Him, thus ending this sinful cycle as stipulated in the next phrase of this verse, "For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth - a woman will encompass a man." The fulfillment of New Covenant has been in view throughout Jeremiah chapters 30 & 31, i.e., “virgin Israel" will be transformed into a faithful daughter by the LORD. She will be restored back into her own land, whole again, at long last aggressively pursuing her long-neglected relationship with God. So the phrase rendered "For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth - a woman will encompass a man," addresses something which heretofore has been the man who courts the woman, i.e., "encompasses" her, surrounds her with attention in order to win her over. So there is a new thing in the earth that the LORD will create between Himself and a generation of His people, which people are referred to as His "faithless daughter" in Jer 31:22a. That generation of His people will be transformed into a people who will pursue faithfulness with the LORD, instead of faithlessness, leaving only the LORD encircling / pursuing / courting His people for them to be faithful to Him. And this transformation will be unilaterally accomplished by the LORD Himself as stipulated in this passage and elsewhere, (ref. Jer 31:31-34 ; Ezek 36:22-27 ).

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(Jer 31:23 YLT) "Thus [has said] the LORD of hosts, God of Israel, '[Again] they will say this word in the land of Judah and in its cities [Jer 30:18; 32:44], in My turning [them] back [from] their captivity, 'The LORD bless you, [Isa 1:26] O [abode] of righteousness, and holy mountain [Jer 50:7; Ps 48:1; 87:1; Zech 8:3]!"

¤ In Jer 31:23, Jeremiah wrote that the LORD of hosts, God of Israel declared that they of the land of Judah and its cities will say "this word," that in His turning them back from their captivity, they will say as follows: 'The LORD bless you, O abode of righteousness, and holy mountain.'

When God will restore the nation of Israel, He will also reverse the fortunes of Judah. Those living in the land of Judah will again invoke a blessing on Jerusalem (God's righteous dwelling) and the temple area (the sacred mountain; cf. Pss. 2:6; 43:3; Isa. 66:20).

Jeremiah, after painting a magnificent picture of Ephraim's return and blessing, now addresses Judah with words of strong assurance and with promises similar to those given Ephraim. When the southern kingdom and her cities are restored, the old greeting of those visiting Jerusalem will be heard once more (v.23). "O sacred mountain" refers to the temple mount and Jerusalem as a whole (cf. Ps 2:6; Isa 66:20). The city will again be characterized by her righteousness (cf. Isa 1:21).

This short oracle of blessing concerns Judah. "The Lord bless you" is the language of the priestly blessing of Num. 6:24ff. Jerusalem had become grossly defiled; in the future restoration, she once again will be called righteous and holy, i.e., "the abode of the Righteous One, the hill of the Holy One." The LORD again would dwell in a holy Jerusalem.

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(Jer 31:24 NASB) [And] Judah and all its cities will dwell together in it, the farmer and they who go about with flocks [Jer 31:12; Ezek 36:10; Zech 8:4-8].

(Jer 31:25 NASB) For I [have satisfied] the weary [soul] and everyone who languishes [in despair] [I have filled]. [Ps 107:9; Jer 31:12, 14]

¤ Jer 31:24 indicates that Judah and all its cities will dwell together in prosperity, the farmer and the shepherds, etc., i.e., the land itself will be repopulated, and God will meet every need. For the spiritual task of the transformation of Judah unto repentance unto faithfulness has already been accomplished unilaterally by the LORD, (Jer 31:31-34 ; Ezek 36:22-27 ). Once spiritual things are taken care of temporal things will be provided as promised to Ephraim, Judah and all the tribes of Israel together.

¤ Whereupon, Jer 31:25 which reads, "For I have satisfied the weary soul and everyone who languishes in despair I have filled" indicates the result of the spiritual transformation that Judah's cities will not be abandoned by their inhabitants, and those settled in them will enjoy tranquillity and prosperity without fear of marauders or invading armies. Indeed, every individual need will be amply met. Even those who previously languished in despair, the LORD has filled.

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(Jer 31:26 NKJV) "After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me [Zech 3:1; Prov 3:24]."

The words rendered "After this I awoke" refers to the end of an episode of the LORD's revelation to His prophet Jeremiah, after which he awoke from sleep and looked around, and concluded that his sleep was sweet, i.e., he had a sweet revelation from the LORD, (ref. Jer 30:1-2). Jeremiah's sleep was sweet because the truths he received in them were comforting previews of future glory for God's people, (contrasted with the disappointing dreams in Isa 29:8; cf. Prov 3:24).

The last phrase of the verse rendered, "and my sleep was sweet to me," is not an insertion by someone other than Jeremiah, as some contend, because it is in the first person singular pointing to the original author Jeremiah, (Jer 1:1; 30:1). There is no manuscript evidence which verifies such an insertion / addition. Furthermore, the prophet has never disparaged dreams as a source of revelation, as some contend citing Jer 23:25-32; because the latter passage only refers to the falsified dreams of false prophets, (cf. Jer 27:9; 29:8; Dt 13:1-5; Zech 10:2); and Jeremiah has proven himself out to be a true prophet. Jeremiah never denied that dreams might be a true means of revelation; (cf. the dreams of Jacob, Joseph, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar et al.; Dan 10:9).

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(Jer 31:27 NASB) "Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah [in the sense of prosperity] with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. [Ezek 36:8-11; Hos 1:11; 2:23]

(Jer 31:28 NASB) As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to over throw, to destroy and to bring disaster, [Jer 44:27; Dan 9:14; Jer 1:10; 18:7] so I will watch over them to build and to plant, [Jer 24:6],' declares the LORD.

(Jer 31:29 NASB) 'In those days they will not say again [Lam 5:7; Ezek 18:2] [in the sense of 'it will never again be said']: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge [Ezek 18:2].

(Jer 31:30 NASB) But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes [wild grapes], his teeth will be set on edge [in the sense of dulled], [Dt 24:16; Isa 3:11; Ezek 18:4, 20]

¤ In Jer 31:27, which reads "Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah [in the sense of prosperity] with the seed of man and with the seed of beast." [Ezek 36:8-11; Hos1:11; 2:23]; the opening phrase "Behold, days are coming" signals another episode of the LORD's revelation to Jeremiah, (cf. Jer 7:32; 16:14; 31:27, 31, 38; 51:47), which continues the context of Jeremiah chapters 30:1-31:26. That the end times are in view is clear from the words rendered, "The days are coming" (cf. Jer 30:3). The verse begins right after Jeremiah's reflection upon the LORD's sweet revelation to him of promised prosperity for all of Judah and Israel together while he was asleep. Jer 31:27 portrays both kingdoms of Israel and Judah joined together in prosperity via increasing populations of man and beast - the subject of restored Israel's new found and forever prosperity.

Because invasions and deportations had taken man and beast from the land, the Lord used Jeremiah to portray a dramatic renewal of the land through resowing the country with man and beast, (cf. Ezek 36:8-11; Hos 1:11; 2:23).

¤ In Jer 31:28-30 the LORD continues on the subject of the prosperity of restored Israel, providing details of such prosperity:

(Jer 31:28 NASB) "As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to over throw, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD."

The LORD conveys that He has watched over His people as He plucked them up, broke them down, over threw them, destroyed them and brought disaster to them - evidently as a result of their rebellious and unfaithful behavior. But in the days which are coming, He will watch over them to build and to plant - to increase their numbers and to restore their prosperity, (Jer 1:10; 18:7-10; 24:6; 31:28, 40; 32:18; Isa 44:26-28).

(Jer 31:29 NASB) 'In those days they will not say again [in the sense of 'it will never again be said']: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.

(Jer 31:30 NASB) But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes [wild grapes], his teeth will be set on edge [in the sense of dulled]."

And the LORD goes on to say that in those days of prosperity it will never again be said that the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge, i.e., that God was unrighteous, that though the fathers had eaten sour grapes, it was the children who experienced the effects of having their teeth set on edge, i.e., paying for the father's sins. For God's justice will guarantee that each guilty person will die for his own sin.

12) [Compare Ezek 18:1-4]:

(Ezek 18:1 NASB) '''Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

(Ezek 18:2 NASB) "What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children's teeth are set on edge'?

(Ezek 18:3 NASB) As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.

(Ezek 18:4 NASB) Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die." '''

¤ In Ezek 18:1-4 although Jerusalem was suffering, the people thought they were suffering not because of their sins but because of their parents' sins. So these people were blaming God for punishing them unjustly (cf. Ezek. 18:25).

God saw that this false proverb had to be refuted. Yet, as with all false doctrines. In the Ten Commandments God indicated that He was "a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me" (Ex. 20:5). This same threat was repeated in Exodus 34:6-7 and Deuteronomy 5:9. Even Ezekiel had traced God's coming judgment back to the people's past actions (cf. Ezek. 16:15-29). But the point of these passages was that the effects of sin are serious and long-lasting, not that God capriciously punishes the innocent for their ancestors' evil ways.

Blaming others for their misfortunes, the people were denying their own guilt. This was wrong because every individual is personally responsible to God. For every living soul belongs to God, the father as well as the son. Those who are guilty will receive their own deserved punishment. The soul who sins is the one who will die (cf. 18:20). The people of Israel could not rightly charge God with injustice.

So those facing judgment in Jeremiah's day felt they were being unfairly punished by God for their ancestors' sins. Though the fathers had eaten sour grapes, it was the children who experienced the effects of having their teeth... set on edge. This proverb was false because it implied that God was unrighteous. God's justice will guarantee that each guilty person will die for his own sin.

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(Jer 31:31 NASB) [Jer 31:31-34; Jer 32:40; 33:14; Dt 10:1-10; Ezek 36:24-33; 37:24-28]

" 'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,' "

¤ Once again, Jeremiah writes "Behold, days are coming," indicating that the end times are in view (cf. Jer 30:3). And at those times, the LORD declares that He will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah together! - with a generation of all those of Israel and Judah when those end times have arrived. So the New Covenant is not yet in force because the time when a generation of all of Israel and Judah have been restored to the entire Promised Land has not yet come!

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(Jer 31:32 NASB) "not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day [of My taking] them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, [Ex 19:5; 24:6-8; Dt 5:2, 3; Dt 1:31; Isa 63:12; Jer 11:1-8] My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,' declares the LORD."

¤ In Jer 31:32, the New Covenant is further defined as not like the covenant which the LORD made with the Israelites' forefathers when He took them out of Egypt, i.e., the Mosaic Law Covenant, which they continually broke although the LORD was a husband to them.

Note that the phrase rendered "the LORD was a husband to them" is in the NASB, NKJV, KJV, AV, HOLMAN, NIV, RSV, and most English versions. Furthermore, a number of verses indicate that God was a husband to Israel, (ref. Isa 54:5; Jer 3:14; 31:32; Hos 2:7, 16). On the other hand the LXX and the Syriac and Heb 8:9 have "and I turned away from them." [in the sense of not regarding them - of valuing them]. In the light of both being true, for God was as a husband to them, (cf. Isa 54:5); but due to Israel's egregious unfaithfulness, God disciplined her to the point of not valuing her while she was being unfaithful and ostrascized from His blessing.

The earlier covenant God referred to was the Mosaic Covenant contained in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy . The old covenant spoke of Israel's great physical deliverance from Egypt through the substitutionary blood of lambs and the power of God; the New Covenant proclaims a great spiritual deliverance from sin and death through the sacrificial blood of the Servant of the LORD, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ), the Lamb of God, (Jn 1:29, 36) and the power of God. Twice God had announced a series of punishments or "curses" that would be invoked on those who violated His Law (Lev. 26; Deut. 28). The judgment would be a physical deportation from the land of Israel, which occurred a number of times throughout the centuries. God had set a holy standard of conduct before the people, but because of their sinful hearts they could not keep those standards. A change was needed, but such a change must involve a means which permits God to forgive sins so that He can make the change in a generation of Israel to righteousness, i.e., through a substitutionary atonement .

Jeremiah points out in this verse that the new covenant is built on the fact of Israel's failure under the old covenant. Because the old covenant was a legal one ("If you do... I will do"), it was incumbent on both parties to the covenant (contract) to maintain its provisions. This Israel did not do, for the people broke the first commandment before Moses descended from Sinai. Jeremiah does not repudiate or depreciate the Mosaic covenant; the fault lay with the people and their sin; they broke the covenant. Thus the new covenant must supersede the old. If the old covenant had not been broken, then what need was there for the ministry of Jeremiah or any of the OT prophets? All were commissioned by God to call the nation to repent of her transgressions of the Mosaic Law (cf. Jer 11:10; 32:40; Ezek 37:26). The day when the covenant was made with the "forefathers" refers to the whole period of the Exodus (cf. Jer 7:22). "I took them by the hand" is a tender nuance of paternal love and concern (cf. Hos 11:3-4). The blame for breaking the covenant rested wholly on Israel and Judah, for there was no fault in God; he had ever been as faithful to them as a faithful husband to his wife. This marriage relationship was the very basis on which God expected obedience to and fidelity in the covenant.

So Jeremiah explicitly presented the parties to the New Covenant in Jer 31:31: the LORD, the house of Israel, and the house of Judah. The New Covenant does not include the church because the church is not stipulated as one of the parties. It is clear that the church is not included because the church was not under a former (old) covenant, which is referred to in Jer 31:32. On the other hand, the making of the new covenant was inextricably bound up with the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD, Who is the New Covenant Whom God has given to Israel and to the world for the salvation of Israel and all mankind - to all individuals of the nations of the earth who choose to believe in Him for eternal life, (Isa 42:6 ; 49:1-8 ; 52:9-15 ).

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(Jer 31:33 NASB) "But this [is] the covenant [Jer 32:40] which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the LORD, [Ps 40:8] 'I will put My law within them [in the sense of within their minds] and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people [Jer 24:7; 30:22; 32:38]."

¤ Notice that God's covenant will - in the future - be made with the house of Israel referring in this context to the house of Israel and the house of Judah together after those days of the end times have begun, (cf. Jer 31:31) - a national, not an individual covenant. Since those days have not arrived yet, it is neither made, ratified, nor currently in force relative to nations or individuals, as some contend.

On the other hand, salvation unto eternal life was promised and that promise was fulfilled / secured for all individuals of all the nations of the earth throughout all of the ages via a moment of faith alone in the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD alone, (Isa 52:1-53:12 ), the details of which vary in accordance with the specific individuals and nations and age as enumerated in the applicable passages in Scripture - such as in the section on this below .

According to Jer 31:33, God's New Covenant will involve a future internalization of His Law - unlike saved individuals before the time the New Covenant is instituted. God will put His Law in their minds and on their hearts, not just on stones (Ex. 34:1). There will be no need to exhort people to know the LORD because they will already all know God (cf. Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14). God's New Covenant will give Israel the inner ability to obey His righteous standards and thus to enjoy His blessings. Ezekiel indicated that this change will result from God's bestowal of the Holy Spirit on these believers (cf. Ezek. 36:24-32 ; cf. Ezek 11:19; 18:31). In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit did not universally indwell all believers; nor during the age that followed - the Church Age - does the Holy Spirit transform believers into faithful beings without sin as He will do in the fulfillment of the New Covenant in the end times, (cf. Joel 2:28-32). Heretofore, mankind will struggle with sin in the temporal life until the fulfillment of the New Covenant.

In contrast to the writing on the tables of stone - the Law of Moses, (cf. Exod 19:3-8; 24:3-8; 31:18; Deut 4:13; 29:1-29); the Law of God will be put within the New Covenant believers' minds, i.e., on their hearts He will write it. So God's Law will become an intergral part of the New Covenant believers' mindsets and a principle of life by which they will unwaveringly and unfailingly conduct themselves. It will become part of the nature of God's people; it will be instinctive. The core of the New Covenant is God's gift of a new heart (cf. Ezek 36:22-27 ). Herein lies the sufficient motivation for obeying God's law. Basic to obedience is inner knowledge of God's will coupled with an enablement to perform it, all founded on the assurance that sins are forgiven. Permanence is also a feature of this covenant (cf. Jer 31:35-37). Since the inward dynamic was absent in the old covenant, it could not be effective. There must be an inner force, a new power.

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(Jer 31:34 NASB) " They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me [Isa 11:9; 54:13; Jer 24:7; Hab 2:14], from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the LORD, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more' " [Jer 33:7-8; 50:20; Mic 7:17-20; Isa 43:25].

¤ A second aspect of the New Covenant will be God's provision for sin. The sins of the people resulted in the curses of the Old Covenant. However, as part of the New Covenant with Israel, God will forgive Israel's wickedness and remember her sins no more. But how could a holy God overlook sin? The answer is that God did not "overlook" sin - its penalty will have been paid for by a Substitute - the Servant of the LORD of Isa 52:1-53:12 , Who is both God and Man, (Isa 9:6-7 ). Forgiveness of sin will be part of the fulfillment of the New Covenant only because God has provided the Servant as a substitutionary atonement to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind - not just one generation of Israel alone, (cf. Isa 52:1-53:12 ). And not only will all of a future end time generation of Israel's and Judah's sins be forgiven and saved unto eternal life under the New Covenant; but so will all of those individuals who are of all the peoples of the earth throughout the ages who likewise believe in Him, in His atonement for their sins - be saved unto eternal life. Each believer's salvation throughout history will be accompanied by unique blessings as Scripture teaches for ones age and group of people .

So the New Covenant will be exclusively made with and enacted upon an entire future generation of the house of Israel together with the house of Judah - no other group of people stipulated as part of the New Covenant - to be saved unto eternal life at the point when all of them believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD, (cf. Isa 52:1-53:12 ). Hence forgiveness of all of a generation of Israel's / Judah's iniquities under the New Covenant will be limited to all of that generation when they will inevitably believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Servant of the LORD alone.

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(Jer 31:35 NASB) "Thus says the LORD, [Gen 1:14-18; Dt 4:19; Ps 19:1-6; 136:7-9] Who gives the sun for light by day, ... the [statutes / ordinances] of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar [Isa 51:15], the LORD of hosts is His name:

(Jer 31:36 NASB) " 'If [these statutes / ordinances] depart from before Me,' declares the LORD, 'Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever [lit., all the days]. [Ps 89:36-37; 148:6; Isa 54:9-10; Jer 33:20-26; Amos 9:8-9]'

(Jer 31:37 NASB) Thus [says] the LORD [Isa 40:12; Jer 33:22]; 'If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the [descendants] of Israel for all that they have done,' [says] the LORD." [Jer 33:24-26].

¤ To underscore Israel's permanence as stipulated in the New Covenant, God compared her existence to that of the heavens and the earth which He alone created. As God had appointed the sun to shine by day and the moon and stars to shine by night (cf. Gen. 1:14-19; Dt 4:19; Ps 19:1-6; 136:7-9), and stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; (cf. Isa 51:15; Ps 107:25; Jer 10:16; 32:18; 50:34); so He had appointed Israel as His chosen nation. It would take a feat as supernatural as making these decrees of creation of the world vanish to make Israel cease to be a nation. For the power God displayed in creating the universe was the power that He exercises in preserving Israel as a nation. Throughout history people have tried in vain to destroy Israel, but none have succeeded - and none ever will. Throughout all of these survival years - centuries, a remnant of Israel has been preserved by God alone so that Israel will never be totally destroyed .

So in the case of the New Covenant it is made with an eternal people, preserved by God. The permanence of the nation is illustrated from the fixed arrangements in nature (Jer 31:35). The survival of Israel throughout the centuries can be explained only on supernatural grounds (Jer 31:36; cf. Jer 33:20, 25). Scripture knows no greater guarantee for the validity and permanence of the covenant than that stated here in Jer 31:35-37. As unchangeable as the laws of nature is God's covenant with His people, Israel. The concept of nation carries with it geographical location, government, and other ethnic features to be realized via the New Covenant being made and fulfilled with a generation of Israel in the end time. In short, it is utterly impossible that Israel should cease to be a nation before God. National existence is assured, regardless of how God may have to deal with individuals in the nation. God regards His promises rather than their unfaithfulness, (Jer 31:37).

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(Jer 31:38 NASB) 'Behold days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD [Jer 30:18; 31:4] from the Tower of Hanael [Neh 3:1; 12:39; Zech 14:10] to the Corner Gate [2 Kg 14:13; 2 Chr 26:9].

(Jer 31:39 NASB) The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah [Zech 2:1].

(Jer 31:40 NASB) And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron [2 Sam 15:23; 2 Kg 23:6, 12; Jn 18:1], to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east [2 Kg 11:16; 2 Chr 23:15; Neh 3:28], shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.' "

¤ The third aspect of God's new relationship will be the establishment of a new city for His people. Jerusalem, the city that symbolizes God's relationship with His people, was destroyed by Babylon and again in AD 70 and then the third Temple will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus, (Rev 6:12-17) and then rebuilt, (Ezek 40-46). But even before that event took place God promised that the city will be rebuilt. The Tower of Hananel was at the northeast corner of the city (cf. Neh. 3:1; 12:39; Zech. 14:10) and the Corner Gate was probably located on the northwest corner of the city (cf. 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chron. 26:9; Zech. 14:10). Thus the northern wall will be restored. The locations of the hill of Gareb and Goah are unknown; but since Jeremiah 31:38 described the northern boundary and verse 40 describes the southern and eastern boundaries it may be assumed that Gareb and Goah detail the western boundary of the city. Perhaps Gareb referred to the hill west of the Tyropeon Valley that is today called Mount Zion. The southwestern and southern boundary will be the valley in which dead bodies and ashes are thrown. This is the Hinnom Valley (cf. Jer 7:30-34; 19:1-6). The eastern boundary is the terraces out to the Kidron Valley. This boundary would extend to the corner of the Horse Gate on the southeast tip of the city, where the Kidron Valley and Hinnom Valley unite.

God described two characteristics of this new city. First, it will be holy to the LORD (cf. Zech. 14:20-21). The city and its inhabitants will be set apart to God who will dwell in her midst (Ezek. 48:35). Second, the city will no more be uprooted or demolished. The ravages of war will not be experienced in this new city. These verses were not fulfilled after the Babylonian Captivity ended. Since the postexilic period provides clear evidence that holiness was not a primary characteristic of the people in Jerusalem and Judah (cf. Mal. 1:6-14), so the city was destroyed again in A.D. 70 by the Romans. These promises (Jer. 31:31-40) await their future fulfillment during the Millennium.

C) [Ezek 36:16-37:28]:

1) (Ezek 36:16-21) The People of Israel's Dispersion Was Caused By Their Defiling Their Own Land By Their Ways And Their Deeds

(Ezek 36:16 NASB) '''''Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,

(Ezek 36:17 NASB) ''''Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.'''' '''''

¤ [(vv. 16-17) The word of the LORD came to the prophet Ezekiel whom the LORD has repeatedly called son of man emphasizing Ezekiel's humanity , as opposed to "The Son of Man," with the definite article emphasizing in Dan 7:13 an actual man Who is at the same time God Who will come in the clouds of heaven to receive a worldwide kingdom. From this use in Daniel it came to refer to the glorious Messiah Who is defined in Scripture as God Himself, .

The LORD through the prophet Ezekiel reviewed Israel's past history, in the sense of all the people of God - all twelve tribes, (cf. Ezek 37:15-23). Past history that had brought their dispersion upon them among the nations of the world. Ezekiel 36:16-21 is also a review of their unfaithfulness while they were living in their own sacred land. They defiled the land by their ways and deeds - by their disobedience of the Mosaic Law. Their way before the LORD was like a woman's menstrual impurity: just as the Mosaic regulations regarded a woman as "unclean" during her period, so the sinful behavior of the people of Israel had made the nation "unclean," (cf. Lev 15:19-23). And the land was polluted because of the sinfulness of the people who had lived in it.

Ezekiel had already spelled out the details of Israel's past sins in Ezek 11:1-21; 22:1ff - especially that of Jerusalem and Judah, echoing the warnings of God to Moses about this very thing, (cf. Lev 18:25ff). Israel's two major crimes were (1) bloodshed, which was brought among her own people through infanticide, intrigue, violence and selfishness, and (2) idolatry, which pervaded the people's lives and drew them continually away from the LORD, (v. 18). Even when scattered among other nations they continued to profane God's holy name]

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(Ezek 36:18 NASB) "Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols.

(Ezek 36:19 NASB) Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them."

¤ [(vv. 18-19) Therefore in view of Israel's chronic unfaithfulness, the LORD poured out His wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols - the two were evidently connected with one another. He scattered them throughout the nations, dispersed them throughout foreign lands, having judged them according to their deeds. Israel's persistent disobedience of the Law would result in her discipline, wherein the LORD had sown Israel like a seed throughout the countries of that day, (cf. Dt 29:1-30:10). So before dwelling on Israel's future cleansing, Ezekiel reminded the exiles of their past sin which caused their repeated judgment. God scattered His people among the nations of the world, dispersing them throughout the lands so that they might learn the importance of following His ways. But in the next two verses it is evident that His key concern was for His holy name.

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(Ezek 36:20 NASB) '''When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, "These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land."

(Ezek 36:21 NASB) But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went." '''

¤ [(vv. 20-21) In His disciplining of the people of Israel, the LORD risked impugning His holy name. A nation in ancient times was uniquely tied to its land. If a people were forced off their land, whether by conquest, famine, disease, or any other reason, this demonstrated that their god was not sufficiently strong enough to protect and care for them. Relative to the people of Israel being restored to the Promised Land, it was God's holy name which was at stake. The "name" of God refers to the representation of His character, sovereignty and power. Profaning God's holy name was one of the LORD's accusations against Judah made through His prophet Ezekiel, (cf. 20:29). The phrase rendered "My holy name" comes from Leviticus, where the regulations of God's Law were meant to keep God's name holy, set Him apart to Righteousness, to authenticate His Sovereignty and to prevent His name from becoming polluted or profaned by the actions of His people, (cf. Lev 20:3; 22:3; 22:32). Nevertheless the people of Israel did repeatedly profane the LORD's holy name by violating God's Law even while in the nations in which they were dispersed, (v. 21). Israel's spiritual rebellion and subsequent moral degeneration caused God's holy name to be impugned among the Gentile peoples who surrounded Israel and Judah. If Israel and Judah were the people of the LORD, it was thought that He must not be able to protect them because they were repeatedly being taken off into exile. It was concluded that He was a weak God. It was said by those who were of the nations, "These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land," implying that those in the nations of the world knew to some extent about the LORD of the Hebrews and the land that He reserved for His people, especially in view of their Exodus from Egypt and God's enablement of their conquering and occupation of the Promised Land. Thereafter, and despite the inevitable loss of reputation, God did scatter Israel among the nations a number of times for their unfaithfulness. So the world perceived that Israel's God was weak. And thereby the name of the LORD was profaned throughout the world all the more because of the way Israel behaved even where they resided outside of their land amongst the nations; and her population remains largely dispersed over the world outside of the Promised Land to this day]

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2) (Ezek 36:22-24) The People Of Israel Will Forever Be Returned To Their Own Land - The Promised Land - For The Sake Of God's Holy Name.

Note That Israel Is Not To Be Confused Here With Members Of The Church Whom The Latter Have Not Been Promised By God To Receive Land He Promised To Give Their Forefathers

(Ezek 36:22 NASB) ''''Therefore say to the house of Israel, '''Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

(Ezek 36:23 NASB) I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.

(Ezek 36:24 NASB) For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land." '''

¤ [(v. 22) For the sake of His Holy Name, God will act in the sense that He will remove His people Israel from the nations where they have been scattered. He will gather them and bring them back to their land, the land of Canaan - the Promised Land, (v. 24), which had been promised to their forefathers in the Abrahamic covenant (cf. 11:17), despite their unfaithfulness.

Note that Israel is not to be confused here with members of the Church whom the latter have not been promised by God to receive land He promised to give their forefathers.

This implies that the LORD has made provision for the forgiveness of their sins so that God's Justice would be satisfied, His Righteousness confirmed in those who trusted in Him for their deliverance unto the eternal Promised Land - as implied in His covenant to Abraham, and in the New Covenant, (v. 24; cf. Ezek 36:22-28; Jer 31:31-34).

The promise that God made about the Promised Land was first made to Abraham, the Patriarch of God's chosen people, Israel, (Gen 12:1-4), whereupon when Abraham believed in God's promise it was accounted to Abraham as Righteousness unto the everlasting life which was required in order for the promise to Abram / Abraham to be fulfilled within himself and with his descendants through Isaac and Jacob - through the faith that Abraham expressed unto righteousness, (Gen 15:4-21 ; cf. Gen 13:14-18; 17:6; 2 Sam 7:12-16). God's covenant with Abraham was then confirmed to his son Isaac, (Gen 26:2-3), and then to Isaac's son Jacob (Gen 28:13-15), Abraham's grandson. The Promised Land was described in terms of the territory from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River (Exodus 23:31).

a) [Gen 12:1-4; 15:18-21; 26:2-3; 28:13; Ex 23:31]:

(Gen 12:1 NASB) '''Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you;

(Gen 12:2 NASB) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

(Gen 12:3 NASB) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

(Gen 12:4 NASB) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.'''

Gen 15:18 NASB) '''On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

(Gen 15:19 NASB) the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite

(Gen 15:20 NASB) and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim

(Gen 15:21 NASB) and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite." '''

(Gen 26:2 NASB) '''The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.

(Gen 26:3 NASB) Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham." '''

(Gen 28:13 NASB) '''And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants." '''

(Ex 23:31 NASB) "I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you."

2 cont.) (Ezek 36:22-24 cont.) The People Of Israel Will Be Returned To The Promised Land For The Sake Of God's Holy Name.

Note That Israel Is Not To Be Confused Here With Members Of The Church Whom The Latter Have Not Been Promised By God To Receive Land He Promised To Give To Their Forefathers, (cont.)

(Ezek 36:22 NASB) '''Therefore say to the house of Israel, '''Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

(Ezek 36:24 NASB) For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land." '''

¤ [(vv. 23-24) Therefore, in order that the holiness of His great name might be vindicated before the nations of the world who thought that the LORD - the God of Israel - could not protect His people and keep them safe within their land, the LORD would restore the people of Israel to their land, but not because of anything that they might do.

In ancient times one's name and person were equivalent; a name represented the person. Through Israel's rebellion against God, the people had defamed God's Person. Therefore, not only would His covenant faithfulness be displayed when He restored Israel to her land, but He would vindicate Himself in the sense of bringing back His Honor and sanctifying His Holy Name and Person throughout the world. And this will be through His supernatural regathering of that generation of Israel at that time. They evidently will all trust in His salvation / deliverance / restoration at the moment when He comes upon the earth in His Second Coming, having already made provision for the forgiveness of the sins of all mankind as the Seed of Abraham - the Kinsman Redeemer. It will not be through anything that Israel will do . God's Righteousness will not be impugned because it was the Seed of Abraham Who has paid for the unrighteousness of Israel and all of mankind so that Israel and all mankind might have the opportunity to share in the blessings of the New Covenant in the Eternal Kingdom of God - each according to the plan of God as stipulated in the New Covenant, (vv. 25-27; cf. Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 11:14-20; chs 36-37; Isa 49:1-13; Romans ch 11 and many more). Then the nations will know that the God of Israel is Glorified, Just, Righteous, Holy, Almighty, Loving, etc. - the only true God.

So out of concern for His holy name which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, the LORD commanded Ezekiel to say that it is not for the sake of Israel that the LORD is about to act, but for His Holy Name which the people of Israel has profaned even while among the nations where they were dispersed. The LORD will vindicate the Holiness of His Holy Name which Israel profaned. Then the nations will know that He is the LORD when He has proved Himself Holy among those nations in their sight, i.e., by their experiencing His Justice, Holiness, Almighty Power, Righteousness, Mercy - evidently all of this through the fulfillment of the New Covenant, (cf. Jer 31:31-34; Ezekiel chapters 11 & 37).

Note that God foretold of Israel's restoration after the Exile through Moses when Moses restated the Mosaic / Palestinian Covenant on the plains of Moab, (Deut 29:1-30:10). And God spoke of this through Ezekiel in Ezek 11:14-20 and once more in 36:22-28, and in chapter 37, as well as through the prophets Jeremiah in 30:4-31:40; and Isaiah in chapter 49]

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3) (Ezek 36:22-27) [After The Generation Of His People Israel Chosen By God Have Survived Unprecedented Distress / Tribulation - A Time Of Jacob's Trouble - The People Will Be Permanently Restored And Begin To Occupy And Possess The Promised Land With Unprecedented Prosperity Forever -

Note That Israel Is Not To Be Confused Here With Members Of The Church Whom The Latter Have Not Been Promised By God To Receive The Land He Promised To The Forefathers Of Israel. Nor Is The Church In View In The Passages At The Time Of Jacob's Trouble: The Unprecedented Tribulation That Israel Will Experience. Finally, There Is No Evidence That The Body Of Christ, The Church, Will Act Faithfully In Their Mortal Bodies Without Sin As Will That Generation Of Israel In The Future. For In The Mortal Lives Of Church Age Believers, There Is The Ever Presence Of Sin Until Their Resurrection To Eternal Life.

On The Other Hand, In The Future, The LORD Will Unilaterally Cleanse His People From All Of Their Sins Without His People Having To Repent Of Any Sin. Each One Of The Generation Of The People Of Israel In View At That Time Will Have Exercised A Moment Of Faith Alone In The Messiah / Savior /Redeemer Alone For Salvation / Deliverance Unto The Eternal Kingdom Of God Forever In The Promised Land. And The Lord Will Put His Spirit Within Each Of Them To Enable Them All To Constantly Live Godly Lives In Obedience To His Statutes And Ordinances - Without Sin]:

(Ezek 36:25 NASB) "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

(Ezek 36:26 NASB) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

(Ezek 36:27 NASB) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

¤ [(v. 25) After the LORD gathers a particular generation / a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; (Jer 30:7, 24; Dan 12:1), (Isa 10:20-23 ) which He chose from among the nations - from where they were dispersed, He will permanently restore them into their own land - the land promised to their forefathers, (Ezek 36:24).

Note that Israel is not to be confused here with members of the Church - the body of Christ - Whom the latter have not been promised by God to receive the Land He promised to the forefathers of Israel. Nor is the Church in view in the passages at the time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ): the unprecedented Tribulation that Israel will experience . Finally, there is no evidence that the body of Christ, the Church, will act faithfully in their mortal bodies without sin as will that generation of Israelites in the future. For in the mortal lives of Church Age believers, (Ro 7:14-25 ), there is the ever presence of sin until their resurrection to eternal life. So God will sprinkle clean water on a future generation of restored Israel to cleanse them from their filthiness and idols, i.e., from their sins, especially idol worship.

The people of Israel’s idolatrous ways had polluted the land (see 22:24; 24:13). They had proven themselves to be spiritually filthy and impure (see 22:15; 24:11, 13; 36:17). Thus, God had expelled them from the land. But now the promise is of a people washed of their sins and cleansed of their idolatry.

The concept of sprinkling the clean water of cleansing to make an individual ceremonially clean appears in Scripture. For example, it was to be done to Levitical priests to purify them as part of a symbolic ritual which would represent the actual work of God in the spiritual realm of purifying (forgiving) them from all their temporal sins:

a) [Compare Nu 8:5-7]:

(Nu 8:5 NIV) "The LORD said to Moses:

(Nu 8:6 NIV) 'Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

(Nu 8:7 NIV) To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves' "

Since the concept of sprinkling clean physical water over all of Israel would not literally wash away her sins, nor even clean away all of her external filthiness, then the phrase "sprinkle clean water" must be figurative, and represent an actual spiritual cleansing - the work of God, (the Holy Spirit), in the spiritual realm.

Note that for God to cleanse anyone of internal filthiness, i.e., of all of ones sins, it is implied that God must make payment for them through His Personal atonement for them, as He would be the only One Who would be qualified for that - given the sinfulness of all of humanity, (). This cleansing will be through the LORD's fulfillment of the New Covenant in them which includes faith in what the LORD promised Abraham and his Seed, when Abraham believed . So likewise will each one of the chosen generation / a remnant of His people Israel - chosen by God, who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation, a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 9:24-27; 12:1) - receive that fulfillment through a moment alone of faith alone in the Seed of Abraham alone - the One Who was to come, as Abraham their father did to fullfill God's covenant with him - the Messiah (v. 26; cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ; Gen 22:18 ; Jer 31:31-34 ). In view is God's Servant, born of a woman, the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel Who is both God and Man: Isa 49:1-13 and Isa 9:6-7 , Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all of mankind. He is the Redeemer of all mankind .

Hence the sprinkling / cleansing / forgiveness of sins unto regeneration unto eternal life has been made available to any and all individuals, Jew or Gentile, of any age / period of time by God through faith in the Servant of the LORD - not just for a future generation of Israel. For each one who believes in the Servant of the LORD has salvation in accordance with the age in which he is living in and the group of people to which he belongs as stipulated in Scripture.

So the phrase rendered "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you" in Ezek 36:25 refers to and symbolizes God's actual cleansing of His people of their sins through His personal forgiveness by His sacrificial blood as symbolized under the Mosaic Law covenant of sin offerings for the cleansing of sins, (ref. Lev 14:1-35 ). He will cleanse that generation / a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1) - those of Israel who will all have believed as Abraham their father believed in the Seed of Abraham, (Isa 10:20-23 . And it is through one of Abraham's and Isaac's Descendants Who will make provision for salvation and blessing to all the nations of the earth, (Gen 22:18 ). He will cleanse His people unilaterally of all their sins and idolatry that has defiled them (cf. Ezek 11:1-20 below).

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b) [Compare Ezek 11:1-20]:

(Ezek 11:1 NASB) '''Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD'S house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

(Ezek 11:2 NASB) He said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city,

(Ezek 11:3 NASB) who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.'

(Ezek 11:4 NASB) "Therefore, prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!"

(Ezek 11:5 NASB) Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, "Say, 'Thus says the LORD, "So you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts.

(Ezek 11:6 NASB) "You have multiplied your slain in this city, filling its streets with them."

(Ezek 11:7 NASB) 'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city are the flesh and this city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it.

(Ezek 11:8 NASB) "You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you," the Lord GOD declares.

(Ezek 11:9 NASB) "And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you.

(Ezek 11:10 NASB) "You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

(Ezek 11:11 NASB) "This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you to the border of Israel.

(Ezek 11:12 NASB) "Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."'"

(Ezek 11:13 NASB) Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?"

¤ [(Ezek 11:1-13) The evil rulers of Jerusalem will be judged by the LORD for their evil deeds. They will fall by the sword. Evidently the sword of Babylon, as their invasion of Jerusalem was historically imminent. Ezekiel pleads with the LORD, "Will you bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?" The next section which follows is the answer of the LORD]

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(Ezek 11:14 NASB) ''''Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

(Ezek 11:15 NASB) '''Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, "Go far from the LORD; this land has been given us as a possession."

(Ezek 11:16 NASB) Therefore say, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.' "

(Ezek 11:17 NASB) Therefore say, "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.' "

(Ezek 11:18 NASB) When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it.

(Ezek 11:19 NASB) And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

(Ezek 11:20 NASB) that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God." ''' ''''

¤ [(Ezek 11:14-20) The LORD's answer to Ezekiel's question, "Alas, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?" was that the surviving remnant would not be destroyed so that a future generation of Israelites would not be there to be saved unto eternal life, restored to and inherit the Promised Land. There would be a coming judgment of the people who remained in Jerusalem, but a remnant would be preserved - comprised of those dispersed and / or in captivity, not of those who remained in Jerusalem. Whereupon God promised to restore all of the remnant - all of the survivors of a future generation of descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - God's chosen people who would go through unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1), to the land He promised to their forefathers forever, (cf. Isa 10:20-23 ).

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i) [Compare Isa 10:20-23]:

(Isa 10:20 NASB) "Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

(Isa 10:21 NASB) A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

(Isa 10:22 NASB) For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

(Isa 10:23 NASB) For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land."

¤ [Ezek 11:14-20 (cont.)] So God will give one heart to all of a generation / a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's Trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24). And He will put a new human spirit within them as well. He will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, in the sense of changing their natures from sinful to godly so that they will walk in His statutes and keep His ordinances and do them. Then they will be His people, and He will be their God, (Ezek 11:1-20).

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This is the fulfillment of the New Covenant as stipulated in Jer 31:31-34 :

ii) [Jer 31:31-34]:

¤ [(Jer 31:31-34) This passage defines the New Covenant in which the LORD will unilaterally fulfill with a future generation of the house of Israel and the house of Judah after He has brought them together and restored them forever to occupy and possess the land He promised to their forefathers, (Jer 30:3). He will put His Law within them, He will write it on their hearts. He will be their God and they will be His people - forever. They will all know Him. There will be no need to be taught of Him. He will forgive their iniquity, and their sin He will remember no more. And the LORD will put His Spirit within them and cause them to walk in His statutes, and they will be careful to observe His ordinances - they will live godly lives without sin. Note that the word "know" here indicates a knowledge of the LORD in the sense of believing in Him for salvation unto eternal life, i.e., regeneration - corroborated by those who know the LORD will have the Law of God within them, written on their heart and have been forgiven of their iniquity: results of regeneration unto eternal life.

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Note that for God to cleanse anyone of internal filthiness, i.e., of all of ones sins, it is implied that God must make payment for them through His Personal atonement for them, as He would be the only One Who would be qualified for that - given the sinfulness of all of humanity, (). This cleansing will be through the LORD's fulfillment of the New Covenant in them which includes faith in what the LORD promised Abraham and his Seed, when Abraham believed . So likewise will each one of the chosen generation / a remnant of His people Israel - chosen by God, who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation, a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1) - receive that fulfillment through through a moment alone of faith alone in the Seed of Abraham alone - the One Who was to come, as Abraham their father did to fullfill God's covenant with him - the Messiah (v. 26; cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ; Gen 22:18 ; Jer 31:31-34 ). In view is God's Servant, born of a woman, the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel Who is both God and Man: Isa 49:1-13 and Isa 9:6-7 , Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all mankind. He is the Redeemer of all mankind .

3 cont.) (Ezek 36:22-27) [After The Generation Of His People Israel Chosen By God Have Survived Unprecedented Distress / Tribulation - A Time Of Jacob's Trouble - The People Will Be Permanently Restored And Begin To Occupy And Possess The Promised Land With Unprecedented Prosperity Forever -

(Ezek 36:25 NASB) "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

(Ezek 36:26 NASB) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

(Ezek 36:27 NASB) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

¤ [(v. 26) So in addition to the work of God stipulated in v. 25 which is figuratively referred to as "sprinkling clean water," of actually cleansing them from all their filthiness - their sinfulness - and their idols; God foretold in v. 26 that He will provide His chosen generation / a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (ref. Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1; Isa 10:20-23 ), with a new heart and a newborn human spirit within them implying a spiritual regeneration or new birth with a capacity to walk in His statutes and be careful to observe His ordinances, i.e., sinless perfection, (Ezek 36:27) - a new nature that will make them righteous all the time, (Ezek 36:27; cf. Jer 31:31-34 ). For He will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh so then they may walk in His statutes and keep His ordinances and do them. Then they will be His people, and He shall be their God, (cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ).

The word rendered "heart" here does not refer to the physical heart, but to the minds and attitudes of every Israelite being redirected toward a willingness and capacity to love and be obedient to God. The term "heart of stone" in the phrase "I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh" refers to the Israelites' attitude of coldness, hardness and consequent deliberate distancing from God resulting in their repeated unfaithfulness in the past throughout centuries of time. The work of God in providing Israel with a "new heart," i.e., a "heart of flesh" refers to God's work of enabling Israel to be faithful, obedient and close to God. The phrase rendered "I will put a new spirit within you" refers to God providing all of His chosen generation of Israel with newborn human spirits; i.e., a spiritual birth of all of that generation / a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (ref. Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1).

God's unilateral cleansing of all of the sins of His chosen generation of His people Israel - a remnant that will survive the time of Jacob's trouble, an unparalleled distress and tribulation for Israel, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1), His provision of a new heart / capacity to be godly all the time - without sin, a new human spirit and the indwelling Holy Spirit unto godliness within each individual of that generation of His people, Israel will all be through the LORD's fulfillment of the New Covenant in them - each one of that generation.

Each and every one of that generation will express in that future time a moment of faith alone in the Seed of Abraham alone - the One Who was to come, as Abraham their father did to fullfill God's covenant with him - the Messiah (v. 26; cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ; Gen 22:18 ; Jer 31:31-34 ); Who is God's Servant, born of a woman, the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel, God and Man: Isa 49:1-13 followed by 9:6-7 , Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all mankind. He is the Redeemer of all mankind ; Who will make atonement for sins in His blood, (cf. Heb 9:11-22).

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For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins:

c) [Compare Lev 17:11]:

(Lev 17:11 NASB) "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."]

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(Ezek 36:27 NASB) "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

¤ [(v. 27) In the fulfillment of the New Covenant in a particular generation of God's chosen people Israel - a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (ref. Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1; Isa 10:20-23 ), will receive God's Holy Spirit Who will enable them all to live godly lives - without sin, (cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ; 37:14; 39:29; Jer 31:31-34 ; Joel 2:28-29 ). They will all walk in God's statutes and be careful to observe His ordinances - they will live godly lives without sin. Ezek 11:20b and 36:28 go on to say, 'and then they [those of Israel] will be His people, and He shall be their God,' (cf. Heb 8:6-10:39). God's law will be written on the heart of those living under the New Covenant, so that they will not need to be taught, nor lack in obedience or godliness, (ref. Jer 31:31-34 ). The New Covenant will replace the Mosaic covenant, but not by eliminating righteous and godly stipulations that describe how to live a godly life; but by providing within each Israelite the capacity to walk in God's statutes and be careful to observe His ordinances - a capacity to be godly all the time - without sin. The New Covenant will provide complete and total forgiveness of sin once and for all and the Holy Spirit's indwelling unto godly living - without sin - for God's chosen people forevermore]

Some contend that this passage points to the coming fall of Judah to Babylon or to the later fall of Babylon to Medo-Persia. However, in both of these periods the Northern Kingdom of Israel was not affected. It had already gone into captivity (in 722 B.C.). A better solution is the still-future Tribulation period when Israel and Judah will experience a time of unparalleled persecution / tribulation, (ref. Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Matt. 24:15-22 - a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24); followed by when Christ, the Son of Man appears to rescue His elect, gather them from the ends of the earth to inherit the Eternal Kingdom that was prepared for them forever, (Joel 2:1ff ; Ro 11:26 ; Mt 24:30-31 ; 25:31-46 ; Rev 19:11-21; 20:4-6).

(1) At no time have all of Israel and Judah been gathered together from all over the world after unprecedented tribulation, (Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24), and brought back into the Promised Land since they had divided into two kingdoms and were dispersed, (Ezek 36:24);

(2) At no time was all of Israel and Judah declared cleansed from all of their filthiness (sins) and idols, (Ezek 36:25);

(3) At no time was all of Israel and Judah given a new heart, a new human spirit and the indwelling Spirit of God so that they could and would walk in God's statutes and be careful to keep His ordinances - without sin, (Ezek 36:26-27);

And all of this forever, no interruptions and starting overs in view, as some contend to include 'partial' or 'near' fulfillments of the New Covenant, Abrahamic Covenant, Davidic Covenant or Palestinian Covenant.

Therefore, the various so called 'near' or 'partial' fulfillments - returns of some of Israel, but not all, to some parts but not all of the Promised Land; and the several rebuildings of the Temple cannot and do not constitute near or partial fulfillments of the promises that comprise the New Covenant, Abrahamic Covenant, Davidic Covenant or Palestinian Covenant, especially in the light of subsequent conquerings, captivities, dispersements and destructions of the Temples - such as in AD 70, and some of the population of Israel occupying a part of the Promised Land in 1948 albeit not without constant conflict from surrounding nations, as some contend. And none of which is forever. On the other hand, each partial return, each rebuilding of the Temple signifies that God is at work giving yet another generation of His chosen people an opportunity for them to demonstrate that they are ready to have the New Covenant fufilled in them through unanimous faith in their Redeemer. So far all of a generation of Israel have not unanimously expressed that faith which will prompt that fulfillment, (ref. Isa 52:1-53:12 ).

4) (Ezek 36:28-32) [After The Generation Of His People Israel Chosen By God Have Survived Unprecedented Distress / Tribulation - A Time Of Jacob's Trouble - The People Will Be Permanently Restored And Begin To Occupy And Possess The Promised Land With Unprecedented Prosperity Forever -

- Note That Israel Is Not To Be Confused Here With Members Of The Church Whom The Latter Have Not Been Promised By God To Receive The Land He Promised To The Forefathers Of Israel. Nor Is The Church In View In The Passages At The Time Of Jacob's Trouble: The Unprecedented Tribulation That Israel Will Experience. Finally, There Is No Evidence That The Body Of Christ, The Church, Will Act Faithfully In Their Mortal Bodies Without Sin As Will That Generation Of Israel In The Future. For In The Mortal Lives Of Church Age Believers, There Is The Ever Presence Of Sin Until Their Resurrection To Eternal Life.

On The Other Hand, In The Future, The LORD Will Unilaterally Cleanse His People From All Of Their Sins Without His People Having To Repent Of Any Sin. Each One Of The Generation Of The People Of Israel In View At That Time Will Have Exercised A Moment Of Faith Alone In The Messiah / Savior /Redeemer Alone For Salvation / Deliverance Unto The Eternal Kingdom Of God Forever In The Promised Land. And They Will Be God's People And He Will Be Their God. And They Will Have Unprecedented Everlasting Prosperity. And The Lord Will Put His Spirit Within Each Of Them To Enable Them All To Constantly Live Godly Lives In Obedience To His Statutes And Ordinances - Without Sin]:

(Ezek 36:28 NASB) "You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

¤ [(v. 28) The generation of the people - the surviving remnant of Israel, chosen by God, which will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (ref. Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1; Isa 10:20-23 will be brought into and possess the Promised Land forever - the land the LORD gave to their forefathers continues to be in view in Ezek 26:28.

Note that Israel is not to be confused here with members of the Church whom the latter have not been promised by God to receive land He promised to their forefathers.

So the generation of the people of Israel - the surviving remnant chosen by God - will all be unilaterally cleansed of all their sins by God, regenerated and given a new heart of flesh and a newborn human spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit to enable them to live sinless, godly lives, (ref. Ezek 36:24-27), will experience a productive and plentiful land without precedent, (ref. Ezek 36:1-15; 28-38 ). The epitome of the Mosaic covenant for Israel and the Lord that previous generations of Israel failed to experience will come about through the fulfillment of the New Covenant which will replace the old one. The generation of Israel who unanimously will believe in their Servant / Messiah Savior will experience as a forever reality being God's people and He will forever be their God]

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(Ezek 36:29 NASB) "Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you.'

¤ [(v. 29) Moreover, the LORD will save this generation of His chosen people from all their uncleanness - especially in the sense of delivering them from the self-destructive effects of their own uncleanness / their sinfulness, (cf. v. 25 ); and He will call for the grain and multiply it, and will not ever bring a famine on them]

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(Ezek 36:30 NASB) I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations."

¤ [(v. 30) And the LORD will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that they will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations]

(vv. 28-30) Implied in vv. 28-30 is the timeframe of forevermore. For the LORD states that He will save this generation of His people from all their uncleanness, i.e., total and complete forgiveness of all of their sins. Implied is salvation unto eternal life, as well as temporal deliverance from distress and captivity. The phrases which end each verse: (v. 28b), "so you will be My people, and I will be your God," (v. 29b), "I will not bring a famine on you," (v. 30b), "so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations," have an everlasting timeframe in view.

The LORD will multiply their crops of grain, the fruit of the tree, and the produce of the field. No longer will the people of Israel experience famine - a disgrace among the nations brought upon them by the LORD evidently due to their unfaithfulness while the nations surrounding them prospered - a reference to their past especially when they retreated from the Promised Land to Egypt and suffered years of captivity and disgrace there ]

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(Ezek 36:31 NASB) "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.

(Ezek 36:32 NASB) I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"

¤ [(v. 31) As a result of the unilateral action by the LORD upon a chosen generation / that remnant of Israel chosen by God which will survive the unparalleled distress / tribulation - the time of "Jacob's trouble," (ref. Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1); that generation of the people of Israel will experience being transformed into a faithful people to Him forever, be provided with unparalleled prosperity and complete occupancy and forever possession of the Promised Land that their forefathers departed from as stipulated in vv. 25-30. They will remember their evil ways and deeds, and loathe themselves in their own sight for their past iniquities and abominations. They will reflect upon God's grace and their former ways and will realize that they did not deserve this marvelous grace of God toward them.

So God will not save Israel for her own sake - because of anything she merited - but to vindicate and magnify His Holy Name, (cf. Ezek 36:22-23 ). The nations surrounding the land of Israel will know that it was the LORD Who rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate, and increased Israel's population and the numbers of their flocks - so that they will know that He is the LORD, (ref. vv. 32-38) - the holiness of His great name will be vindicated, (v. 23).

God's unilateral cleansing of all of the sins of His chosen generation / a remnant of His people Israel who have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (ref. Jer 30:7 ; Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1), His provision of a new heart / capacity to be godly all the time - without sin, a new human spirit and the indwelling Holy Spirit unto godliness within each individual of that generation of His people, Israel will be through the LORD's fulfillment of the New Covenant in them - each one of that generation.

Each and every one of that generation will express in that future time a moment of faith alone in the Seed of Abraham alone - the One Who was to come, as Abraham their father did to fullfill God's covenant with him - the Messiah (v. 26; cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ; Gen 22:18 ; Jer 31:31-34 ); Who is God's Servant, born of a woman, the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel, God and Man: Isa 49:1-13 followed by 9:6-7 , Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all mankind. He is the Redeemer of all mankind , Who will make atonement for sins in His blood, (cf. Heb 9:11-22). For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins, (Lev 17:11)]

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(Ezek 36:32 NASB) "I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"

¤ [(v. 32) And in verse 32 the LORD said that He was not doing this for their sake - but for the sake of restoring His holy name which had been profaned by His people Israel in and out of the land promised to their forefathers, (cf. Ezek 36:20-21 ). He said let it be known to them that they should be ashamed and confounded in their ways, "O house of Israel!" A chosen generation of the forever united houses of Judah and Israel of God's chosen people.

Note that Israel is not to be confused here with members of the Church whom the latter have not been promised by God to receive the land He promised to Israel's forefathers; nor have they ever been called the house of Israel and / or the house of Judah, who the latter two will be restored together in the Promised Land as one.

The Gentile nations will observe this marvelous transformation in Israel and see the Lord as the only gracious and loving God, for Israel was not deserving of restoration (v. 32b). The LORD will vindicate the holiness of His great name:

a) [Compare Ezek 36:22-23]:

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(Ezek 36:33 NASB) '''Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.

(Ezek 36:34 NASB) The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.

(Ezek 36:35 NASB) They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.'

(Ezek 36:36 NASB) Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it." '''

¤ [(vv. 33-36) Whereupon the LORD God said that on the day that He cleanses the people of Israel from all of their iniquities; He will cause the cities of the promised Land to be inhabited, and the waste places to be rebuilt, and the desolate land to be cultivated instead of it being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. Notice that first comes the cleansing of the people, then the prosperity. So the nations surrounding the people of Israel - the Promised Land that they occupy and possess will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' Then the LORD said that the nations that surround the people of Israel - which implies that they too have experienced the sifting of God's judgment and grace - they will know that He - by His grace - has rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. "I, the LORD, says have spoken and will do it."]

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(Ezek 36:37 NASB) '''''Thus says the Lord GOD, ''''This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock.

(Ezek 36:38 NASB) Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the LORD.''''

¤ [(vv. 37-38) And finally, the LORD gave a message to Ezekiel to declare to the house of Israel: the LORD said that He will let the house of Israel ask Him to do the following for them: to increase their number like a flock increases in number - like He had increased the flocks at Jerusalem for the sacrifices and the appointed feasts which He had provided for them in the past. So the number of the people of Israel will increase and fill the waste cities around Jerusalem in the manner that a flock is increased. And for this they will know that He is the LORD: By this the world will come know that He is not a weak god, but that He is the only God Who does exactly what He says He will do - He is the Just, Sovereign, Righteous, and Almighty and Only God. And that generation of Israel, the chosen remnant, will know that they are His people, and He is the LORD, their God - forever!

Note that the stipulations of God's restoration of Israel in Ezek chs 11, 15, 36-37, Jer chs 30-31, Isa chs 49, 51, etc. have not been yet been fulfilled - even partially. Since the time when Israel first divided into two kingdoms, the entire populations of Israel from the Northern Kingdom, Israel; and the Southern Kingdom, Judah were never reunited in the Promised Land, (Ezek 36:22-24); nor were they ever cleansed from all of their sins and idols, nor did they all receive a new heart, a new human spirit, nor the Spirit of God in them in order to walk in God's statutes and be careful to observe His ordinances in sinless perfection; nor was unparalleled prosperity experienced in the Promised Land by them, (Ezek 36:22-38). And all these stipulations are to be final, uninterrupted and everlasting. Therefore to date there has never been any kind of fulfillment of the New Covenant - full, partial, near or temporary or otherwise, as some contend.

So it cannot be concluded that the passages on the restoration of Israel and Judah relative to the fulfillment of the New Covenant have in view the return of a relatively small number of Israelites from Babylon to Canaan under Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah which return was neither sufficiently peaceful, nor sufficiently godly, nor sufficiently productive, nor everlasting to be the fufillment of the New Covenant. But they do point to a final, everlasting and complete restoration of all of the population of Israelites of a generation of Israel and Judah together under the Holy One of Israel, the Redeemer of Israel, Who is both God and Man, the Messiah - the Seed of Abraham in the Everlasting Kingdom of God . So the details of Israel's everlasting reestablishment on her land set forth in all of these passages stipulated above did not occur in the returns under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

****** COMPARE EXCERPT FROM HOSEA 2:14-23 ******

OR CONTINUE TO NEXT SECTION

There Will Be An Unprecedented Event In The Future: Peace, Safety And Prosperity Will Be Restored To All Human, Plant And Animal Life Throughout All The Earth. At That Time, A Future Generation Of Israelites Will Be Bethrothed Forever To The LORD, Sealed Forever In Faithfulness. The LORD Will Say To Them Whose Ancient Israelite Descendants Were Unfaithful And Hence Not His People, 'You Are My People' And They Shall Say, 'You Are My God!'

[Hos 2:14-23]:

¤ [Introduction to Hosea 2:14-23. These verses portray future descendants of the ancient Israelites the latter of whom were disciplined, destroyed and have long since died. Prosperity will return due to the future descendants' becoming believers and their faith in and faithfulness toward God, (Hos 2:19-23).

In this unprecedented future time, there will be prosperity, peace, harmony and safety amongst man and animals throughout all the earth, (2:18-19). At that time, the future generation of Israelites will be betrothed forever to the LORD, sealed forever in faithfulness, (vv. 19-20). The LORD will say to them whose ancient Israelite descendants were unfaithful and hence not His people, 'You are My people' and they shall say, 'You are my God!' (2:23b)]

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(Hos 2:14 NIV) ''' " 'Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

¤ [(Hos 2:14) So after punishing past generations of Israelites over the centuries with discipline and destruction over the centuries for unbelief and resulting unfaithfulness, the LORD will now allure and lead the future descendant believers of those ancient unbelieving and unfaithful Israelites into the desert and speak tenderly to them]

(Hos 2:15 NIV) There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

¤ [(Hos 2:15) It is in verse 2:15 where it is indicated that prosperity will return. The verse declares that the LORD will give Israel back her vineyards and will make the Valley of Achor, (lit. the 'Valley of Trouble,' the site of one of Israel's past sins - of Achan's heinous act which jeopardized the success of occupying the Promised Land), a symbol of better things to come, a door of sure hope leading to repossession of the Promised Land. The verse states that Israel "will [then] sing as in the days of her youth as in the day she came up out of Egypt." This statement refers to the early days of ancient Israel's relationship with the LORD immediately after her exodus out of Egypt which has in view her eager responsiveness to the LORD in the very beginning of her relationship with the LORD and her journery in the wilderness with Him from out of captivity from Egypt. Note that the LORD views Israel here in this passage as His chosen people, comprised of those generations of Israelites who exercise trust alone in and faithfulness alone to the LORD as their God alone, (Hos 2:23), as their husband, (Hos 2:16). They are sons of the living God, (Hos 1:10). All generations of Israelites, past, present and future. Hence the phrase "In the days of her youth" in 2:15 refers to the generation of the Israelite people in their first days of their relationship with the LORD at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The phrase, "In the days of her youth" does not limit Israel to the Exodus generation of Israelites, especially since not all the ancient Israelites coming out of Egypt were youthful. Many were not youthful or grew to be older in those days wandering in the wilderness]

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(Hos 2:16 NKJV) "And it shall be, in that day," says the LORD," That you will call Me 'My Husband,' And no longer call Me 'My Master,'

(Hos 2:17 NKJV) For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, And they shall be remembered by their name no more.

(Hos 2:18 NKJV) In that day I will make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, With the birds of the air, And with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely.

¤ [(Hos 2:16-18) The LORD goes on to declare that a future generation of Israelites will call Him Husband instead of Father; Baal worship will be no more, (vv. 2:16-17); all animals will be at peace and harmony with one another and mankind; and wars will be no more, (v. 2:18). The LORD will mediate a covenant between the nation and the animal kingdom. The harmful beasts of the field, which had earlier devoured the vines and fig trees... will no longer be hostile. portraying the Kingdom Age as one of harmony between man and animals.]

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(Hos 2:19 NKJV) I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy;

(Hos 2:20 NKJV) I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD.

¤ [(Hos 2:19-20) Note that the eternal time frame and character of this new kingdom of God is unprecedented. Since Israel will be forever bethrothed to God, and since an ancient betrothal involves the payment to seal the promise of the relationship. The LORD's payment will consist of providing His righteousness, justice, love, compassion and faithfulness to His chosen people. Hos 2:19 stipulates that God's betrothal was "In righteousness and justice, [and] in lovingkindness and mercy," then God's bethrothal will be sealed forever by Him in His righteousness; and it will be in accordance with His justice and by His loving kindness and mercy, i.e., by the grace of God. So the future generation of Israelites in view in Hos 1:10-11; 2:14-23 will be justified = declared as having the righteousness of God unto eternal life through their faith in their Messiah-Savior Descendant by the loving kindness and mercy of God, i.e., His grace. Since the LORD is always perfectly righteous, just, loving, compassionate and faithful; then it is Israel who will now also demonstrate those personal qualities in her eternal relationship with the LORD. Their eternal destiny in the eternal kingdom with the LORD will be eternal by the grace of God and not through anything Israel would do. They will know the LORD in that eternal and intimate sense, bethrothed forever to be His wife, (vv. 2:19-20)]

(Hos 2:21 NKJV) It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer," says the LORD; " I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth.

(Hos 2:22 NKJV) The earth shall answer With grain, With new wine, And with oil; They shall answer Jezreel, [referring here to a valley which is identified with Israel]

¤ [(Hos 2:21-22) Furthermore, at that future time, the LORD will bring great temporal prosperity to the earth - grain, wine, oil. The prosperity will especially be brought to the "Valley of Jezreel," a valley in the Promised Land and a term identified with Israel, (vv. 2:21-22)]

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(Hos 2:23 NKJV) Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, [the Israelite descendents of the unbelieving ancient Israelites of the Northern Kingdom] ' You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God! ' " '''

¤ [(Hos 2:23) Verse 2:23 then stipulates that the LORD will sow Israel for Himself "in the earth" [erets = lit., earth], a picture of planting her as a plant so that she will grow in her relationship with Him as His wife. He declares that He will have mercy on her where before - in ancient times - she had not obtained mercy from Him out of His disciplining her ancient descendants for turning from Him to worship Baal and for failing to acknowledge the LORD as the source of everything, (vv. 2:1-8). Now in the future, the LORD will say to those Israelite descendants of the ancients who the latter were disowned by Him and declared "not My people," "You are My people!" The nation called Lo-Ruhaman (not ... loved; cf. 1:6) and Lo-Ammi (not My people; cf. 1:9) will [in a future generation of Israelites] experience God's compassion and will be addressed as His people. They will acknowledge that He, not Baal, is their God. So those descendant Israelites will respond in turn, "You are my God!" demonstrating that they are the remnant of true and faithful believers in their generation.

****** END OF EXCERPT RE: HOSEA 2:23 ******

5) (Ezek 37:1-13) The Hand Of The LORD Brought Ezekiel Out By The Spirit And He Passed Through The Valley Of Dry Bones. Whereupon The LORD Commanded Ezekiel To Prophesy Causing The Bones To Come Together - The Whole House Of Israel To Come To Life That They May Know That The One Who Has Brought Their Bones To Life Is The LORD. But The Bones Said "Our Bones Are Dried Up And Our Hope Has Perished. We Are Completely Cut Off." Whereupon The LORD Will Bring Them Up Out Of Their Graves And Into The Land Of Israel In The Sense Of Physical Restoration In The Promised Land And Spiritual Regeneration. Then They Will Know That He Is The LORD - When He Has Opened Up And Caused His People To Come Out Of Their Graves - His People, In The Sense Of Their Spiritual Rebirth And Physical Restoration In The Promised Land Of A Generation Of Israelites

(Ezek 37:1 NASB) '''''The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

(Ezek 37:2 NASB) He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.

(Ezek 37:3 NASB) He said to me, ''''Son of man, can these bones live?'''' And I answered, ''''O LORD GOD, You know.''''

a) [Introduction to chapter 37]:

Ezekiel chapter 37 conveys two symbollic, eschatological visions given to the prophet Ezekiel by the LORD. They portray the LORD's promise of Israel's everlasting reunification with Judah and their restoration in the Promised Land as one nation, the people of God - the subject of chapter 36. The visions were for Ezekiel to relay to the people of Judah in the light of Judah's present condition of Babylonian oppression and captivity. Judah was "dead" as a nation. The people were deprived of their land, their king and their temple. They had been conquered again, many died, the Temple was destroyed, many were dispersed, some were taken into captivity into Babylon . Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel, had been divided and dispersed for so long that reunification and restoration seemed impossible. So the LORD GOD gave two visions to His prophet Ezekiel, (37:1-14 and 37:15-28), to interpret and relay to his people of Judah. The visions were given to confirm the promise the LORD made that a generation of Israel and Judah would be restored, delivered and saved unto eternal life in the land that God had promised to their forefathers. These two visions were preceeded by God's messages through Ezekiel of judgment of a generation of Israelites from Judah and especially from Jerusalem for their unfaithfulness, (cf. Ezek 4:1ff). These two visions signified a new day of future blessing for a generation of God's people potentially to occur in Ezekiel's time or any time in the future provided that all of a particular generation of Israel are cleansed of their sins. This cleansing will be through the LORD's fulfillment of the New Covenant in them which includes faith in what the LORD promised Abraham and his Seed, when Abraham believed . So likewise will each one of the chosen generation of the house of Israel receive that fulfillment through a moment alone of faith alone in the Seed of Abraham alone - the One Who was to come, as Abraham their father did to fullfill God's covenant with him - the Messiah (v. 26; cf. Ezek 11:1-20 ; Gen 22:18 ; Jer 31:31-34 ). In view is a moment of faith alone in God's Servant alone Who was born of a woman, is the Redeemer of Israel, the Holy One Of Israel Who is both God and Man: Isa 49:1-13 and Isa 9:6-7 , Who is further described in Isa 52:1-53:12 as the Servant of the LORD Who has brought salvation through His atonement for the sins of all mankind. He is the Redeemer of all mankind .

And this fulfillment is portrayed in Scripture as coming to pass when a generation of all of Israel and Judah together will believe in the One Whom they pierced, the Redeemer of Israel to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life as well as a complete and everlasting restoration in the Promised Land .

b) [Compare Zech 12:10-14]:

[Just as in Ezek 36:26-27 which has in view the fulfillment of the New Covenant, so Zech 12:10 has in view the same event which includes the LORD pouring out His Spirit on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, i.e., "the Spirit of grace and supplication." And the focus at that time is the Servant Who has been pierced [Isa 53:5 ], Who will restore all of Israel into the Promised Land, (Isa 49:1-6 ).

Notice that a single individual Who was pierced is in view in Zech 12:10 upon Whom all of Israel is looking and acknowledging Who He is: One Who then cannot be all of Israel. Hence the Servant in Isa 53:5 Who was pierced is also a single individual, Who cannot be all Israel at the same time]

5 cont.) (Ezek 37:1-13 cont) The Hand Of The LORD Brought Ezekiel Out By The Spirit And He Passed Through The Valley Of Dry Bones. Whereupon The LORD Commanded Ezekiel To Prophesy Causing The Bones To Come Together - The Whole House Of Israel To Come To Life That They May Know That The One Who Has Brought Their Bones To Life Is The LORD. But The Bones Said "Our Bones Are Dried Up And Our Hope Has Perished. We Are Completely Cut Off." Whereupon The LORD Will Bring Them Up Out Of Their Graves And Into The Land Of Israel In The Sense Of Physical Restoration In The Promised Land And Spiritual Regeneration. Then They Will Know That He Is The LORD - When He Has Opened Up And Caused His People To Come Out Of Their Graves - His People, In The Sense Of Their Spiritual Rebirth And Physical Restoration In The Promised Land Of A Generation Of Israelites, (cont.)

(Ezek 37:1 NASB) '''''The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

(Ezek 37:2 NASB) He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.

(Ezek 37:3 NASB) He said to me, ''''Son of man, can these bones live?'''' And I answered, ''''O LORD GOD, You know.''''

a cont) [Introduction to chapter 37, cont.]:

So Ezekiel, under God's direction, started a new phase of the prophet's ministry after the fall of Judah / Jerusalem in 586 B.C. What was needed was a message of hope. God had not reneged on His promises of the New Covenant to a generation of His people. His rejection of the unfaithful generations of the tribes of the Northern Kingdom which were dispersed earlier and remain dispersed today, and of the unfaithful generations of the tribes of the Southern Kingdom which included Judah was not to be permanent. He had sent approximately 50,000 of a generation of His people Judah into exile, and dispersed the rest of the tribes of Judah so that they might be disciplined for their sinful rebellion so that which ever of that number that were sent to Babylon that survived the captivity might choose to return and would do so in unanimous faith in the fulfillment of the New Covenant - their deliverance / eternal salvation through God's Servant, the Redeemer of Israel and of all mankind . Faith in the Redeemer was evidently not expressed by every one of a generation of the people of Israel. For the fulfillment of the New Covenant did not occur within that generation of Israel relative to their returning to the Promised Land from throughout the world when Judah returned to rebuild Jerusalem. And when they did, they ran into ongoing trouble from the people who had settled there, and they were indolent in rebuilding the Temple, .

Since the time when Israel first divided into two kingdoms, the entire populations of Israel from the Northern Kingdom, Israel; and the Southern Kingdom, Judah to this day have never been reunited in the Promised Land - even temporarily, (Ezek 36:22-24); nor were they ever cleansed from all of their sins and idols, nor did they all receive a new heart, a new human spirit, nor the Spirit of God in them in order to walk in God's statutes and be careful to observe His ordinances in sinless perfection; nor was unparalleled prosperity experienced in the Promised Land by them, (Ezek 36:22-38). And all these stipulations are to be final, uninterrupted and everlasting. Therefore to date there has never been any kind of fulfillment of the New Covenant - full, partial, near or temporary or otherwise, as some contend - even in 1948 when thousands had come from Europe and elsewhere to occupy a small portion of the Promised Land.

Nevertheless, the small number of that generation of Judah who were freed by God to return to Jerusalem to begin to rebuild it met with ongoing trouble, as indicated throughout the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah, etc. (). God stressed the fact of His sovereign power, capacity and willingness to unilaterally carry out these remarkable and gracious promises in the New Covenant. Their fulfillment depended upon Him alone, not on anything Israel might do, or circumstances, provided all of a generation of Israel and Judah believed alone in the Holy One of Israel, the Redeemer of Israel, God's Servant alone for that fulfillment.

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Ezek 37:1-10 comprise a description of the first vision which God gave His prophet Ezekiel on this matter followed by the interpretation in verses 11-14:

(Ezek 37:1 NASB) '''''The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

(Ezek 37:2 NASB) He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.

(Ezek 37:3 NASB) He said to me, ''''Son of man, can these bones live?'''' And I answered, ''''O LORD GOD, You know.''''

¤ [(vv. 1-3) In Ezek 37:1-3, the hand of the LORD brought the prophet Ezekiel out by the Spirit of the LORD and set him down in the middle of a valley full of many dry bones - very dry bones. The phrase rendered "the hand of the LORD" is a metaphor for God's power, which is further emphasized by the phrase "by the Spirit of the LORD," i.e., by the power of God the Holy Spirit. It was a symbollic vision of future events regarding God's chosen people Israel - their future restoration in the Promised Land, while the Judean exiles remained in oppressive captivity. The vision was of Ezekiel being passed among the bones round about. First, God caused the prophet to walk throughout the valley to see the bones. There were bones on the surface of the valley. There were many - enough for an exceedingly great army, (v. 10). And they were very dry, evidently bleached and baked under the hot sun. There was no rotting flesh left on them - just dry bones. These images conveyed a completely devastated / dead situation with no possibility of revival / restoration as God has promised, (Ezek 36). Circumstances appeared hopeless.

Consequently, in verse 3, the LORD God asked Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?" The expression rendered "son of man" is a common Semitic way of indicating an individual man, (cf. Ps 4:2; 57:4; 58:1; 144:3; Jer 49:18, 33; 50:40; 51:43 and about 90 times in the Book of Ezekiel - as opposed to the term the Son of Man ). The question was a rhetorical one - the situation was clearly hopeless. No natural ability could bring the bones back to life. And it was Almighty God Who asked the question in that light, and it was He alone Who has the power to fulfill what He has already promised to do, (ref. Ezek 36:22ff ). Ezekiel's answer implied that he did not know, deferring to God's omniscience, and he answered, "O LORD God, [Heb. "ǎdōāny yehwih] you know." ]

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(Ezek 37:4 NASB) Again He said to me, ''''Prophesy over these bones and say to them, '''O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.'''

(Ezek 37:5 NASB) Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, '''Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.

(Ezek 37:6 NASB) I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.''' ''''

¤ [(vv. 4-6) Whereupon Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy over the bones to "hear the word of the LORD." And the LORD spoke, "Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD." The commands of the LORD God were given to Ezekiel to prophesy this message: to predict that in the future - speaking to the bones in the vision which evidently are symbollic of a future generation of Israel - a generation of a people which has long been dead to God as His chosen people "will come to life" in the sense of a particular generation being His people once again and forever, (cf. Hos 2:14-23 ; cf. Ro 9:25). The prophet Ezekiel was to state that it will be the LORD God alone Who will put sinews, i.e., muscles and flesh on that set of bones - that generation of Israel in the future - and put breath in them that they may come to life in the sense of a physical and spiritual life connected forever with the LORD so that they will know that He is the LORD, implying that their faith in Him to fulfill His promises in the New Covenant has been expressed by all of them, (cf. Ezek 36:24-27 )

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(Ezek 37:7 NASB) So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.

(Ezek 37:8 NASB) And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

¤ [(vv. 7-8) As Ezekiel prophesied, there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, with sinews, implying that the bones were not previously connected. Flesh and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them - they were still physically and spiritually dead]

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(Ezek 37:9 NASB) Then He said to me, ''''Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, '''Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life." ''' ''''

(Ezek 37:10 NASB) So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

¤ [(vv. 9-10) Ezekiel was then given the words to prophesy to the breath. And the breath came into the bones. The bones came to life and stood on their feet - an exceedingly great army. The vision of the recovery of the bones to form live human bodies into an exceedingly great army pictured a generation of Israel's ultimate national restoration. The breath that came into them that brought them to life was evidently a physical life and a spiritual birth as well, (ref. Ezek 36:24-28 ). These are stipuated as the 'four winds' that brought life to a future nation of living Israelites. And this was figurative spiritual awakening of living Jews
which will have been indicative of the New Covenant God had made with
and for only a literal house of Israel and Judah, not Gentiles ever, as stipulated in Jer 31:31-34 .]

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(Ezek 37:11 NASB) Then He said to me, ''''Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ''''Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.''' ''''

¤ [(v. 11) Verses 11-13 provide the LORD's interpretation of His vision which He gave to Ezekiel, (ref. vv. 1-10). In verse 1 the LORD pronounced to Ezekiel, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' " So the LORD said that the vision was about the nation Israel, i.e., "the whole house of Israel," in the sense of the whole of the Hebrew people - Israel and Judah together - most of whom at that time were dispersed or in captivity. And they were completely cut off from God - from His blessings.

This is as opposed to members of the Church who some contend have replaced Israel as God's people which the Church is actually not in view in this passage at all.

And the LORD told Ezekiel that "the whole house of Israel" despairingly complained, "Our bones are dried up and our hope [for deliverance] has perished. We are completely cut off." In actuality they were like what they appeared to be in the vision: unburied skeletons / bones so dry that they appeared to have been dead for a very long time - implying that the nation Israel had been dead to God for a very long time - spiritually dead and no longer His people. So the bones were without capacity / hope for deliverance. Hope that was destroyed by the outcome of Babylon's attack resulting in Judah's dispersion and captivity]

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(Ezek 37:12 NASB) ''''Therefore prophesy and say to them, '''Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.''' ''''

¤ [(v. 12) So the LORD commanded Ezekiel to prophesy and say to the resurrected bones, "Thus says the LORD God, 'Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.' " So in His vision to Ezekiel, graves appeared to be opened and God's people were brought to life and came up out of them, in the sense of becoming spiritually reconnected / reborn with their God. The LORD stipulated that He will bring them up out of their graves of captivity - places of exile such as in Babylon and througout the nations "into the land of Israel." Both the imagery of dry bones becoming live people and the figure of resurrection from a grave illustrate this same truth. Israel, who had been nonexistent as a people on their own land and scattered throughout the nations, would be brought back to life physically as a nation in their own land. This is not a resurrection of all Israelites who ever lived participating in this event.

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(Ezek 37:13 NASB) ''''Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.''''

¤ [(v. 13) Whereupon in verse 13 it says, "Then you will know that I am the LORD when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people." Priority number one is God's Holy Name, (cf. Ezek 36:20-23). God will vindicate His Holy Name. He will indeed open up their graves and cause them to rise up in life and come out of them, i.e., He will cause His people to come to life in a spiritual sense and reunite His people, move them up and out of their captivity and restore their Land to them forever, forgive and deliver them from sin and enable them to live godly lives forever - without sin. His people will surely know that He is the LORD]

6) (Ezek 37:14) The LORD Will Put His Spirit Within His People - That Generation Of Israel Whom He Has Chosen To Be His People - And They Will Come To Life, And He Will Place Them In Their Own Land. Then They Will Know That He, The LORD, Has Spoken And Done It

(Ezek 37:14 NASB) I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,''' declares the LORD.''''

¤ [(v. 14) And the means by which a generation of the people of Israel will be spiritually and physically restored to the Promised Land will be done by the LORD: He will put His Spirit in them and cause them to come to life in a spiritual sense - in faithful fellowship with the LORD, and He will place them on their own land, in keeping with the New Covenant and the message just delivered in Ezekiel chapter 36. Then they will know that He, the LORD, has spoken and done it]

****** EXCERPT FROM EZEKIEL 36 ******

OR CONTINUE TO NEXT SECTION

(Ezek 36:22-24 cont.) The People Of Israel Will Be Returned To The Promised Land For The Sake Of God's Holy Name.

Note That Israel Is Not To Be Confused Here With Members Of The Church Whom The Latter Have Not Been Promised By God To Receive Land He Promised To Give To Their Forefathers, (cont.)

(Ezek 36:24 NASB) For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land." '''

Note that God foretold of Israel's restoration after the Exile through Moses when Moses restated the Mosaic / Palestinian Covenant on the plains of Moab, (Deut 29:1-30:10). And God spoke of this through Ezekiel in Ezek 11:14-20 and once more in 36:24-28, and in chapter 37, as well as through the prophets Jeremiah in 30:4-31:40; and Isaiah in chapter 49]

(Ezek 36:22-27) [After The Generation / A Remnant Of His People Israel Chosen By God Who Will Have Survived Unprecedented Distress / Tribulation - A Time Of Jacob's Trouble - Has Been Permanently Restored And Begins To Occupy And Possess The Promised Land Forever

- Israel Is Not To Be Confused Here With Members Of The Church Whom The Latter Have Not Been Promised By God To Receive Land He Promised To Give To Their Forefathers -

The LORD Will Unilaterally Cleanse His People From All Of Their Sins Without His People Having To Repent Of Any Sin. Each One Of The Generation Of The People Of Israel In View At That Time Will Have Exercised A Moment Of Faith Alone In The Messiah / Savior /Redeemer Alone For Salvation / Deliverance Unto The Eternal Kingdom Of God Forever In The Promised Land As Abraham Their Father Did. And The Lord Will Put His Spirit Within Each Of Them To Enable Them All To Constantly Live Godly Lives In Obedience To His Statutes And Ordinances - Without Sin]:

(Ezek 36:25 NASB) "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

(Ezek 36:26 NASB) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

(Ezek 36:27 NASB) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

¤ [(v. 25) After the LORD gathers a particular generation / a remnant of His people Israel chosen by God who will have survived unprecedented distress / tribulation - a time of Jacob's trouble, (Jer 30:7 ; (Jer 30:24; Dan 12:1), (Isa 10:20-23 ) which He chose from among the nations - from where they were dispersed, He will permanently restore them into their own land - the land promised to their forefathers, (Ezek 36:24).

Note that Israel is not to be confused here with members of the Church whom the latter have not been promised by God to receive land He promised to their forefathers.

So God will sprinkle clean water on them to cleanse them from their filthiness and idols, i.e., from their sins, especially idol worship.

[Compare Nu 8:5-7]:

(Nu 8:5 NIV) "The LORD said to Moses:

(Nu 8:6 NIV) 'Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.

(Nu 8:7 NIV) To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves' "

[Compare Ezek 11:1-20]: