Even though Israel has always made the headlines in the world news, there seems to be an increasing amount of attention which this tiny country is receiving in the world press. Perhaps G-d is behind this. Scripture demands that one pay attention to Israel in the last days, so in order to assist the world, the L-rd is making sure that Israel and what is taking place there is a major topic in the media. A very important question which each person who wants to understand G-d's behavior in the end times must answer is, "How are the Jewish people and the Land of Israel connected to G-d's plan of redemption and the establishment of His Kingdom?"
Sadly, many Christians answer this question that there is nothing at all unique about the Jewish people today in regard to G-d's plan of redemption, nor is the Land of Israel connected to the establishment of His Kingdom any more than any other nation or place on the earth. For one to make such a statement, a wealth of prophecy must be ignored or set aside. Replacement theologians see Israel as a "rebel nation" for much of her history. While this is true, G-d has always moved to bring the people back into a relationship with Him in order that His purposes would be accomplished. A beautiful example of this faithfulness of G-d is found in Daniel's prayer in the ninth chapter of Daniel. At this time, the 70 years of exile had come to an end. Therefore, Daniel prayed with full assurance that G-d would bring about the means for the people to return to the Land of Israel. Replacement theologians understand G-d returning the Jewish people to the Land of Israel as necessary preparation for the Messiah's advent. However, they rule out any possibility for Israel to be returned to the land prior to the Messiah's Second Coming. It is to this point, based upon numerous prophecies, I am compelled to respectfully disagree.
The prophecy of Jeremiah (See Jeremiah 23:1-8) is very specific and it is the details of this passage which prohibit one from forming a theology which asserts that the Church replaces Israel and all which was promised to Israel is fulfilled by believers. The first thing which must be pointed out about this prophecy is that it is Messianic; that is, it speaks to the end of this age. It is very significant that in the middle of this section David is mentioned. This is not a reference to King David, who lived 3,000 years ago, but the Son of David, Messiah Yeshua. This fact is confirmed by the additional statement that this One is also known as the "Righteous Branch". This One is called a King who will reign, i.e. in the future.
Another key piece of information is that this prophecy foretells of an exodus for the Jewish people. Whereas the first great exodus was out of the land of Egypt, the final great exodus will be from two destinations. The text emphasizes first "the North" and then "from all the countries where I scattered them". It concludes with the promise that the Jewish people "will dwell on their own land." This passage is understood by every rabbi who holds to some level of authority for the Bible, to pertain to the Jewish people, and that its fulfillment will be in the time shortly before the Messiah will establish His Kingdom. This prophecy is so clear that the men of the Great Assembly wrote in the Shemoneh Ezreh (the foundational prayer for every Jewish worship service) the following blessing:
"May the Righteous Branch of David Your servant quickly spring forth and His triumph be lifted up in Your salvation; for Your salvation we have hoped every day. Blessed are You O L-rd, Who causes the triumph of salvation to spring forth."
I realize many Christians could care less how rabbis may interpret a passage, but an objective person who looks at all the Scriptural indicators present in this passage, must agree upon a few conclusions, not just by a consensus, but unanimously. First, the exodus to which this passage alludes has not happened previously. It is either in the future or currently taking place. Perhaps the more than one million Jewish people, who have left the former Soviet Union (North of Israel) and immigrated to Israel over the last thirty years, should cause one to ponder the precision of Jeremiah's words. Second, the numerous Jews who have immigrated to Israel, since its formation, are from a wide variety of other countries. Third, this prophecy is connected to the end times and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Messiah. Fourth, the context is clear, only the Jewish people could possibly be the subject of this prophecy and not believers, as believers were never brought up from the land of Egypt.