Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I do not usually post articles about Bible prophecy. However, I have recently been thinking a lot about the prophecy in Isaiah 11:11-16, and I want to share my thoughts on it with my readership in order to “get it out of my head.” I do not claim to be an expert on Bible prophecy. Please feel free to comment about anything you think I may have overlooked or misinterpreted.

I THINK THIS PROPHECY DESCRIBES OUR CURRENT DAY

Isaiah 11:11-16 is a relatively detailed account of Israel’s second return to the promised land. I believe that these events occur before Christ’s millennial reign(11:1-10), even though they are mentioned after it. Verse 10 says that these events will happen “in that day” meaning the day of the Lord’s return to Israel. I do not think this is not a literal day, but general proximity. These verses cannot happen during the peaceful millennial reign because they describe warfare taking place in the Holy Land (verse 14). But rather these events lead up to and culminate in the millennial kingdom. I believe that the millennial kingdom begins at the end of verse 16.

The reason why I believe that this prophecy concerns our present day is because it specifically says it is talking about the 2^nd return of the children of Israel (verse 11). The first return, of course, happened under Ezra and Nehemiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born. After Jesus ascended to heaven the Jewish people were once again scattered from their homeland after a series of disastrous rebellions. Only recently, since the late 1800s, have they started returning to their land en masse, and they are still coming. I believe that this return must be the 2^nd return mentioned in Isaiah, because it is too big to be ignored. There are now more Jews living in the promised land than there have ever been at any previous point in its history.

MOST OF VERSE 11 WAS FULFILLED IN THE 1900S

            Isaiah chapter 11 is a very long verse. It predicts the return of the Jewish people from specific regions of the Earth. They are: Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, the islands of the sea, the four corners of the Earth (verse 12).

The following statistics, based on data from Wikipedia, shows that much of this verse was fulfilled in the 1900s. Below is a brief analysis of how many Jewish people have left each of the lands mentioned above to return to Israel, and how many remain.

Assyria: Ancient Assyria was based in present-day Northern Iraq. There were 120,000 Jews in Iraq in 1948. Today there are about 100. This is a 99.91 % exodus.

Egypt. There were about 75,000 to 80,000 Jews in Egypt in 1922. There were under 100 left in 2004. This is a 99.87% exodus.

Pathros. Ancient Pathros was a part of Modern day Egypt known as upper Egypt. I have found internet sources claiming that there were hundreds of Jews living in the towns of  Asyut and Aswan in the early 20^th century. These towns seem to be part of the region which the Bible calls Pathros. I assume that they left with all the other Jews in Modern day Egypt in the 1900s. It is hard to come up with an exact percentage, but it is probably very high.

Elam. Ancient Elam was located in the southwestern part of Modern day Iran. There were about 150,000 Jews in Iran in 1948. Today there are under 40,000 left. This is about a 70% exodus.

Shinar. Shinar is located in modern-day Iraq, though a different part than ancient Assyria. Nevertheless, going by the same numbers, 99.91% of the Jews in Shinar left in the 20^th century.

Hamath. Hamath is located in modern day Syria. There used to be many Jews in Syria, but most of them left in the 20^th century. About 25 Jews remain in Syria. This is at least a 99.9% exodus.

Islands of the sea. This phrase probably refers to Islands in the Mediterranean such as Cyprus. The story of the Jewish residents of Cyprus is long and complicated. Most Jews were forced off of Cyprus by various governments in the first millennium AD. By 1900 there were under a hundred left. However, after World War II 50,000 Jews were interred on Cyprus by the British. Within a few years virtually all of them were living in Israel. There are other islands in the Mediteranean that have been home to significant numbers of Jews from time to time. I have not researched them all.

The four corners of the Earth. This phrase presumably refers to the entire world. There were about 13.4 million Jews in the world as of 2010. About 5.7 million of them live in Israel. This is a 42% return.

Conclusion: it is amazing how much of verse 11 has been fulfilled in the last 100 years! Many of the places mentioned in these verses have seen upwards of 99.9% emigration of Jews! However, this prophecy is not yet complete, because it predicts the eventual return of all Jews worldwide to Israel. Also, some of the Jews that left the Muslim countries mentioned above went west to the United States instead of Israel. Still, the amount that have returned to Israel give strong support to the fact that the 2^nd return prophesied by Isaiah is taking place in our day.

WHAT ABOUT THE BANNER?

Verse 12 says that God will “raise a banner for the nations” when He “gathers the exiles of Israel.” I do not know for sure what this is referring to. I have not studied ancient Jewish culture and language in detail, therefore I do not know all the possible connotations of this phrase. However, maybe it is referring to the current flag of Israel. After all, the star of David may unwittingly be the emblem of Jesus’ future millennial kingdom.

ISAIAH PROPHECIES A SINGLE JEWISH NATION

            Verse 13 of this prophecy says:

“Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed;

Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.”

This is a reference to the fact that ancient Israel existed as two countries–Israel and Judah–during the years that Isaiah penned this prophecy. The northern kingdom of Israel is sometimes referred to as Ephraim, since the tribe of Ephraim inhabited the central part of that kingdom. Isaiah predicted that when the Jews returned a second time they would be united as one nation. Such is the case today.

ISAIAH PREDICTED THE 6-DAY WAR

Perhaps the most interesting part of this prophecy is verse 14 which says:

“They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;
together they will plunder the people to the east.
They will subdue Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites will be subject to them.”

I believe that the first half of this verse has already been fulfilled, but the second half is still future. Geographically speaking, the “slopes of Philistia to the west” obviously refers to the Gaza strip. More than that, the modern word “Palestine” is actually derived from “Philistia,” so one could say that the Gaza strip today is populated by self-declared “Philistines.” Therefore the first line is probably referring to the Israeli conquest of the Gaza strip on June 5^th 1967. The second line might very well be describing the conquest of the West Bank that took place over the next few days. However, the conquest of Edom and Moab have not happened yet. All of Moab and part of Edom are located in territory that presently belongs to the country of Jordan.

WHAT ISAIAH DID NOT PREDICT

There are several familiar scenes from the Arab Israeli wars that Isaiah does not mention at all. One of these is the conquest of the Sinai Peninsula in 1967. Another is the October war of 1973. I think maybe the reason why these two events were not mentioned is because they had no long term effect on Israel’s borders (The Sinai was returned to Egypt in the early 1980s), and because they did not involve the capture of populated regions.

THE COMING WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDAN

The second half of verse 14 predicts at least one future war between Israel and Jordan: “They will subdue Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites will be subject to them.”

This verse predicts that Israel will “subdue” i.e. occupy the southern and middle parts of Jordan, and at least exercise political control over the more populated region of Northern Jordan. The “Ammonites” being referred to here almost definitely include the population of Jordan’s capital “Amman.” Amman is not only named after Ammon, but it is located directly on top of the ancient Ammonite capital of Rabbah.

WHEN WILL THIS FUTURE WAR HAPPEN

There is no way of predicting exactly when this war will take place. One cannot attach a hard date to this war without ignoring the doctrine of the imminence of Christ’s return. This war is the next step in the chronology of this passage after the six-day war, which is already fulfilled. It could happen a day from now, or a hundred years from now. I believe that it will probably happen before the tribulation begins, but I cannot prove this. I am pretty certain, however, that it will take place before the mid-point of the tribulation, based on prophecies from Daniel and Revelation.

THE ESCHATOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDAN.

            I am guessing that the reason God will give Jordan into the hands of the Israelis is to provide a haven for the Jewish people during the 2^nd half of the tribulation. The Apostle John predicted in Revelation 12:14 that the Jewish people will take refuge in a location in the desert for three and a half years where God will allow them to be “nourished.”

I believe that the desert haven that John is talking about is the southern Jordanian wilderness. This is because the timing of the flight of the Jewish people corresponds directly with the coming of the Antichrist into Israel at the midpoint of the tribulation. The prophet Daniel clearly says that the land of Jordan will successfully escape conquest by the Antichrist at this time:

“He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.” (Daniel 11:40).

Therefore, based on these verses I suspect that Israel will conquer Jordan sometime between now and the abomination of desolation, and that millions of Jews will flee into the Jordanian wilderness during the midpoint of the tribulation (Matthew 24:16), where they will be divinely protected.

POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATION TO VERSE 14.

            However, I could be wrong about this. It is conceivable that verse 14 is not referring to the six day war or the conquest of Jordan by Jews in a pre-tribulation/early tribulation war. One alternative meaning is that verse 14 is actually the Battle of Armageddon, which takes place at the end of the tribulation. I do not think this is the case, however, because the wars described here do not seem to perfectly fit the battle of Armageddon.

JESUS WILL GATHER THE PEOPLE

After the tribulation Jesus will gather all remaining Jews from all over the world to the holy land. I believe that this is what Isaiah is talking about in verses 15-16:

“The LORD will dry up
the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand
over the Euphrates River.
He will break it up into seven streams
so that anyone can cross over in sandals.
¹⁶ There will be a highway for the remnant of his people
that is left from Assyria,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from Egypt.”

This passage refers to God supernaturally drying up bodies of water in order to make the return of the Israelites easier. John mentioned in Revelation 16:12 that the River Euphrates will be dried up near the end of the tribulation in order to gather the “kings of the east” to the great battle of Armeggedon. But apparently this will also serve to create a travel route for the last Jews left in Asia at that time to return to Palestine. Likewise, God will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea. This could be the Red Sea or the Nile. Verse 16 implies that this miracle will be separate but similar to what occurred in 1440 BC when Moses crossed the Red Sea.

WHAT ABOUT THE TRIBULATION?

There is no mention in this whole passage about the tribulation period. Why does this passage ignore, for instance, the fact that the Antichrist will temporarily conquer Judea? I think maybe the reason is because the Antichrist’s conquest will be temporary. This passage, coming on the heels of a millennial prophecy, is meant to highlight the ultimate victory of God’s people, and ignores their defeats, since they will overcome them any way. This passage was not written in order to explain every possible aspect of the tribulation period, but rather to explain how God will gather His people together in preparation for the Millenium.

CONCLUSION.

I think that this passage is referring to the current gathering of the people of Israel, the 6 day war, the future conquest of Jordan, and ultimately the begin of the Millenium period.

There is nothing wrong with fasting for Lent, as long as it is done in the right spirit. I believe that it is good for Christians to fast occassionally, in order to help them to focus more of their attention on their Savior rather than on satisfying their fleshly desires.  However, I think I am justified in giving a quick word of caution about Lenten fasting. Make sure that if you fast for Lent you are doing it for the right reasons. Make sure you are not trying to do it to purchase your salvation since salvation can only be purchased by the blood of Christ. Over the years Lent has actually become an obstacle to the gospel at times. In fact, the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland began when several brave Swiss men defied Roman rules by eating sausage during Lent. This is how one of the greatest spiritual revivals in European history began.

If you do decide to fast for Lent, try to keep your fasting secret. Do not make a big show out of it. In some cases it might actually be better to occasionally break fast rather than to make a scene. Jesus said:

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,  so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18).

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (LCMS) is located at 1121 Georgia Avenue in Sheboygan. Their Administrative Pastor is Reverend James Hartman. Their web address is http://www.ourbethlehem.com/.

WHAT THEY BELIEVE

“We believe that repentance for sin and faith in Christ brought about in us by the Holy Spirit is essential for the salvation of a lost and sinful humanity.

We believe that eternal life is ours by faith, that is, trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Salvation is a gift of God. This gift is expressed in our life by works that are pleasing to God.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is given to all Christians and places them into the Body of Christ. He is the Comforter who indwells believers, convincing them of the truth of Christ’s teaching and helping them to live a life pleasing to God.” (Excerpt from the beliefs page on their website).

MESSAGE FOR BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ Our Written Savior.

I am very pleased that your church is committed to preaching repentance and faith in Christ, as commanded in the Bible. I particularly like the fact that you specifically make mention of repentance by name. Many Bible believing churches say a lot about faith, but do not talk about repentance very often. However, true faith must include repentance. Sometimes the Bible says that salvation is through belief, other times it says it is through repentance. Therefore true repentance must also include true belief.

The part of your belief statement which I quoted above is very good. You are absolutely correct that “faith in Christ” is “brought about in us by the Holy Spirit.” That is to say, we cannot take any credit for our own salvation or belief. Nevertheless, we must believe! It is a commandment from God. If you have not believed and repented of your sins you are not saved, even if you have been baptized.

My wish and prayer for you today is that you will always preach the gospel boldly, and that you will help the other brethren with their needs.

My e-mail address is schildan10@hotmail.com if you wish to contact me for any reason.

In Christ’s name,

-Daniel Schilling

Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church is located at 136 West Union Ave, Cedar Grove. Their pastor is Ron Beabout. You can find them on the web at http://www.calvarychurchcg.com/.

WHAT THEY BELIEVE

“The Son of God took upon Himself a human nature in the womb of the virgin Mary, so that in her son Jesus the divine and human natures were united in one person. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and died on a cross, bearing the sins of, and receiving God’s wrath for, all those who trust in Him for salvation (His chosen ones). He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where he sits as Lord and rules over His kingdom (the church). He will return to judge the living and the dead, bringing His people (with glorious, resurrected bodies) into eternal life, and consigning the wicked to eternal punishment.” (Excerpt from belief page on website)

MESSAGE FOR CALVARY OPC

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our risen Savior.

I am pleased to see from your website that you greatly value literal interpretation of the inspired word of God. I am pleased that you give the gospel clearly in your belief statement.

You are right that God is completely responsible for the salvation of a human soul. However, God commands the individual to repent of his sins and believe in the gospel. Therefore one must accept the doctrine of election without forgetting to preach God’s commands directly to the individual. I trust that you already know this, since the necessity of belief and repentance are mentioned in your belief statement several times. Please keep preaching the gospel clearly without embarrassment, knowing that our time on Earth to influence others for Christ is limited.

If you wish to contact me for any reason, my e-mail address is schildan10@hotmail.com.

God bless,

-Daniel Schilling

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (I John 3:1a)

God created the human race so that they could be His children. He offers you forgiveness of your sins if you will repent and believe in the power of Christ’s blood to save you from your sins.

Bethany Lutheran Church (LCMS) is located at 222 Church Street in Kohler. Their pastor is Reverend Robert W. Steele. Their website is http://bethanylutherankohler.org/index.htm.

WHAT THEY BELIEVE

“Bethany Lutheran Church confesses that by nature a person is totally corrupt to the ways of God. We are blind to God’s ways, dead to Him, and His enemy. We cannot seek God on account of our condition. Spiritually we have no strength to save ourselves from this condition. This is why God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to save all. As we gather at 222 Church Street in Kohler, we witness the miracle of God’s salvation through Baptism, His life-changing event. As a community gathered around the Word, God the Holy Spirit strengthens us through hearing and receiving Christ at the altar.” (Excerpt from their “Beliefs” page).

MESSAGE TO BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH.

God commands everyone to believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 13:31) and repent of their sins (Acts 2:38) for salvation. If you have not repented and believed then you are not saved, no matter if you were baptized or not. Jesus Himself said:

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16).

Notice that Jesus clearly states that whomever does not believe is not saved. Whether or not the unbeliever is baptized is irrelevant. The Bible clearly teaches that some who are baptized are not saved. The Apostle Peter himself once implied that a baptized man might not be saved. He told the man:

“repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22).

Therefore, make sure that you believe, so that your baptism is not a farce. If you are not sure if you are saved or not, then read your Bible (perhaps I John would be a good, short book to read) and pray to God in humility. God loves everyone and “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (I Peter 3:9). The Bible is very clear that you must repent and believe. If you refuse, you alone, not your church, is responsible for the consequences (Luke 13:3).

Feel free to contact me at schildan10@hotmail.com with any questions.

In Christ’s name,

-Daniel Schilling

Zion Christian Assembly is a non-denominational home-church in Sheboygan. As far as I know they do not have a website. You may contact them for times and location of their services through one of their elders, Allen Hanson, at 920-458-4137.

WHAT THEY BELIEVE

            Zion Christian Assembly is committed to the gospel and to literal interpretation of the Bible. I am familiar with this church because I used to go to it until I turned 19. Those 19 years were a true blessing for me, because they allowed me to become more grounded in Biblical doctrine than I would have been almost anywhere else. The teaching at this church is extremely good.

Zion Christian Assembly is not in any way related to the Assemblies of God. They are loosely affiliated with a movement sometimes called the Plymouth Brethren. They teach believer’s baptism, the priesthood of the believer, and a plurality of elders for local church leadership. They completely reject the distinction between clergy and laity.

WHAT TO EXPECT

I greatly recommend this church to anyone who is looking for a gathering of believers that is extremely faithful to the church guidelines of the New Testament. This church is a small, close-knit group, but they are friendly and welcoming to newcomers. They would love for you to join them. Their church services are a little bit different than other evangelical churches in that they hold communion every week, allow non-elders to preach, and the women usually wear headcoverings during services (I Corinthians 11:5).

Zion Lutheran Church is located at 200 East Main Street in Glenbeulah Wi. Their pastor is Reverend Donald L. Johnson. Their website can be found at http://zionglen.org/.

WHAT THEY BELIEVE ABOUT THE GOSPEL

Below is an excerpt from a website message by Reverend Johnson titled “Reformation” dated 10/29/2011.

“First, from Revelation 14, in the vision that Jesus gave John, we hear of the eternal gospel that God wants proclaimed to every nation, tribe, language and people.  This is the good news that Jesus died on the cross for the guilt of our sins and rose from the dead to assure us who believe in him of our own resurrection to glory!  J

In Romans 3, after identifying that no one can talk back to God when His Law reveals our sins, He goes on to say that in spite of our sins, His love for us is great.  He tells us that we can’t get right with Him by trying to, or pretending we can, keep His Law.  God reveals His righteousness to us in Jesus.  Although we all fall short of God’s glory, He gave us His Son who gave Himself as a blood sacrifice for our guilt.  Jesus redeemed us 3 from sin’s eternal death.  God the Father declares us innocent of sin freely by His grace.

God does the right thing.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, God justifies us. No human can boast because God does it all for us.  Everything we have, from our lives to God’s Word to our salvation, is a gift from our gracious heavenly Father.”

MESSAGE TO ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ our risen savior.

I have recently read through some of Reverend Johnson’s messages on your website and I like the way that he boldly preaches salvation through the blood of Christ. I detected no hint of apology for the gospel or what the Bible says. This is a good thing!

Therefore, I want to encourage you as church to remain faithful to the teachings of the Bible and to the message of the gospel. Remember that God holds each individual responsible for accepting His message. Your church cannot save you. Every individual that believes in Christ and repents of their sins will be saved as God promises, but everyone who refuses to believe will not be saved.

Please stay firm not only in preaching the pure gospel message, but in showing love toward one another. Always pray for one another and stand with each other in times of hardship, each one helping out the poorer brethren in need according to their ability (Acts 5:32-37). Remember to lovingly enact church discipline as needed for the benefit of all (I Corinthians 5:1-13, II Corinthians 2:3-11).

Be sure to back up your pastor every time he does what is right, and be very careful with how you challenge him over anything, so that you do not accidentally hinder him from diligently serving the Lord. Shepherding a flock in the 21^st century is difficult.

Feel free to contact me for any reason at schildan10@hotmail.com

I will pray for strength and wisdom for your pastor and for loving fellowship in your church tonight.

In Christ’s name,

-Daniel Schilling

Word of Grace Community Church is located at 837 Buffalo in Sheboygan Falls. Their address on the web is http://www.wogcc.com/. Their Senior Pastor is Derik Armstrong.

WHAT THEY BELIEVE

Word of grace has a belief statement up on their website that explains their core beliefs in plain language. An excerpt is below.

“THE SALVATION OF MAN

(a) We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of God.

(b) We believe that man’s salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by human works, and is the free gift of God; however, the believer’s works will determine his rewards in eternity.

Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10

(c) We believe the inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the direct inward witness of the Holy Spirit with the believer’s spirit. The outward evidence to all men is a life of true holiness.

Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:10”

MESSAGE FOR WORD OF GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Risen Savior.

I just finished reading through your belief statement. I believe that it does a good job of explaining the gospel, which is the only way to God. Your statements about salvation and the person and work of Jesus Christ are particularly bold and clear.

Therefore, since you are clearly familiar with the Bible, I challenge you to stay loyal to it and to take every care not to stray from the truth, since the Devil is eager for you to fail. Keep preaching the gospel boldly to the lost, and live with true love towards the saved, conducting church discipline as commanded in the Bible for the benefit of all.

If you wish to contact me for any reason, my e-mail address is schildan10@hotmail.com

In the meantime, go forth boldly with the Word of God in your hearts and on your minds!

-Daniel Schilling

“If you know that He is righteous you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” (I John 2:28).

Some people say that God will let atheists into heaven provided that they have lived good lives, selflessly helping other people. My response is that He would–if there were such a thing as a good atheist!

There is not such a thing as a good atheist. Goodness only comes with truth. All people, regardless of their culture or religion are born into this world filthy with sin. They can do good sometimes as show or to temporarily relieve their conscience, but only those who are washed in the blood of Christ can be cleansed from sin and do good when they derive no worldly benefit or comfort from it.

If you want to practice righteousness then repent of your sins and Believe in the power of Jesus’ blood to take away your sin.

If you are a genuine Christian, if you have really believed in the Truth, then you will PRACTICE righteousness. Not only will you BE righteous in the sight of God who has pardoned you for your sins, but you will LIVE righteously.