By Mark W Swarbrick

In 1948 a miracle happened. The Jews, who had been dispersed for nearly 2,000 years, returned to their original homeland!  Think about that for a moment. This is unprecedented! No other people has lost their country for two millennia, kept their national identity, and then returned to their homeland! This is absolutely incredible that such a thing should happen. What’s more, it was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy!

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ ¹⁵but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ For I will bring them back to their own land which I gave to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:14-15)

This could not have referred to the Jews return from the Babylonian exile, for several reasons. One, The Jews returned from Babylon. That’s only one country. But this passage speaks of “all the countries where he had driven them.” This would indicate a return from more than one country. Secondly, ancient Babylon is modern-day Iraq. Iraq is straight west of Israel. Yet this passage speaks of a return “out of the north country.”

According to the Encyclopedia Wikipedia, “During the 1990s, the Jewish population growth rate was about 3% per year, as a result of massive immigration to Israel, primarily from the republics of the former Soviet Union.” Russia and other Soviet Union states are north of Israel.

The Encyclopedia Wikipedia speaks of this notable event:

“In 1987, to the shock and wonder of the rest of the world, Mikhail Gorbachev…permitted mass Soviet Jewish emigration. Hundreds of thousands of Jews indicated their desire to leave the Soviet Union…to emigrate to Israel…From January to December 1990, more than 180,000 Soviet Jews arrived in Israel. In April alone, more than 10,000 Soviet Jews emigrated. Soviet Jews continued to flood into Israel at a rate of 1,400 per week during the 1990s. During one weekend in December 1990 more than 7,000 Soviet Jews arrived. Israel suffered from a severe housing shortage. World Jewry provided large sums of money via Operation Exodus to help Soviet Jews emigrate, and the challenge to Israel to absorb Soviet Jews into its society remained the top priority issue of the mid 1990s.”

God spoke of this event long ago through the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel:

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.’“(Isaiah 43:5-6)

“And the nations will know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:23-24)

The re-gathering of Israel to the Promised Land is part of God’s plan. Paul spoke of Israel and said,

“I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27)

This New Testament passage seems to suggest that Israel will be again in her own land when all of Israel recognizes that Jesus is their Messiah. Furthermore, in many of Jesus’ discourses on the end of the age, he speaks as though Israel is again in the land during that time.

So Israel has been reborn, re-gathered from the nations to her own land and this is a marvelous fulfillment of Bible prophecy. A sign of the times, foreshadowing apocalyptic events to come. Jesus is coming soon! Are you ready?