RESTORED
By SAMUEL H. WILKINSON
BY the promises are insured to
(1) A fertile land. Isa. 55: 13; Jer. 31: 5; Joel 3:
18; Amos 9: 13.
(2) Seasonable
rains. Ezek. 34: 26 ;
Joel. 2: 23.
(3) Well
built cities. Isa. 61: 4.
(4) Fixity of land tenure and security of real
estate. Isa. 65: 21, 22.
(5) A numerous population. Isa. 49:19, 20; Ezek. 36: 37, 38; Zech. 2:4
(6) Just
magistrates. Isa. 60: 17.
(7) A
charter of personal liberty. Jer, 30: 8.
(8) Popular
education. Isa. 54: 13.
(9) Wealth and plenty. Isa. 54: 11,
12; 60: 5, 11; Jer. 33: 12, 13; Joel 2: 26.
(10) Absence
of seditious elements. Ezek. 20:28.
(11) Undisputed supremacy amongst the nations.
Micah 5: 8.
(12) A
glorious theocracy. Isa. 24:23.
What an ideal state of national politics
is here described! And this is all
involved in the hope of the promises.
Further, the
fulfilment of the promises will bring to
(1) A
united people. Verse 9.
(2) A
truly humble people. Verse 11.
(3) A
consciously dependent people. Verse
12.
(4)
A people confident in God. Verse
12.
(5)
A truthful people. Verse 13.
(6) A
fearless people. Verse 13.
(7) A
joyful people. Verse 14.
(8) A
people among whom God resides. Verse
15.
(9) A
people secure from calamity. Verse
15.
(10) A
zealously active people. Verse
16.
(11) A
people in whom God delights. Verse
17.
(12) An
object-lesson to the whole world of the abounding grace of God. Verses 11, 20.
These conditions, national, political and spiritual,
will result from the fulfilment of the promises. They will be realized only in the land,
after the full restoration of the people and occupation of the land has come to
pass. This restoration is
assured by definite promise. That it is future and literal is
proved by seven considerations:-
(1) There is to be
a restoration “a second
time”. Isa. 11:11. There having been but one restoration in
history, the second restoration must be future.
(2) There is to be
a restoration from the four corners of
the earth. Isa. 11: 11, 12. No such
restoration having taken place in history, it must be future.
(3) The whole land of promise is to be possessed.
Gen. 15: 18; Obadiah 5: 17. There
having been no entire possession of the whole of the promised
land in history, there must be a literal and future restoration.
(4) A restoration
is predicted which is to be associated
with the formal reunion of
(5) A restoration
is predicted which is to be associated
with national conversion. Ezek. 36: 24‑27.
No
such restoration having taken place, it must be future.
(6) A distribution of the land and a location
of the tribes is predicted which has never been realized in history. It must therefore be future. Ezek. 48. (whole chapter).
(7) A resettlement
upon the land is predicted, after which
there is to be no further scattering. Amos 9:
15. No such resettlement having taken place in history, it must of
necessity be future.
Together with this
most certain and most literal resettlement of the Israel people in the land
made over to them by Covenant and occupied up to its furthest limits, there are
three promises of soul-restoration for the Israel race:-
(1) The people will be cleansed and God’s anger
turned away from them. Isa. 12:1; Jer. 33: 8, 9.
(2) They will be brought into new covenant
relationship. Jer. 31: 31‑34.
(3) They will be justified and made righteous.
Isa. 45: 25; 60: 21.
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