The Chosen People and the Soon Coming King: God’s Covenant with Israel and the 1,000-Year Reign of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords Over Jerusalem, Israel, and the World
A Bible Study on God’s Everlasting Covenant with Israel
Author’s Note:
This Bible study was compiled and edited by Candidate John Rice. The author gives full credit and gratitude to the following sources:
· Part 1 (Jesus Christ — The Jewish Messiah) is based on the article “Jesus is a Jew” from jesusisajew.org. Used with credit and gratitude. Readers are highly encouraged to visit this website for other excellent Bible teachings:
· The scripture references throughout the remaining study were received from biblicalzionist.com. Used with credit and gratitude. Readers are highly encouraged to visit this website for other excellent Bible teachings:
· The author’s original contribution is the clarification and correction throughout this study regarding the Jewish people’s role as stewards of the land of Israel, not eternal possessors. The Scriptures teach that God is the eternal owner of the land, and the Jews were given stewardship over it until Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King to take full possession.
May this study bless you and open your eyes to the Jewish roots of our faith.
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📌 Understanding “Inheritance” and “Everlasting Possession”
Throughout this study, you will see the words inheritance and everlasting possession. These words do not mean ownership. In the Bible, an inheritance is something a son receives from his father and holds under his father’s authority. The father remains the head of the family. The son is the heir and the steward.
God is the Father. Israel is the son. The land is the inheritance. But God never gave up ownership of the land. He said:
“The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.” — Leviticus 25:23
Think of it like this: A man owns a house. He allows a steward to live in it, care for it, and manage it. The steward has full use of the house. He can raise his family there. He can enjoy its benefits. But the deed still belongs to the owner. When the owner returns, he takes full possession. The steward is not thrown out—if he is faithful, he is allowed to remain and enjoy the house under the owner’s rule. But the steward is not the master of the house.
This is exactly how God set it up with Israel:
Role Who
Eternal Owner God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
Steward (temporary) The Jewish people, until Messiah returns
Eternal Ruler Jesus Christ, when He returns
God gave the covenant inheritance to the Jews so they could be the stewards of the land, but not the owners. God is the eternal owner of the land. He has given stewardship to the Jews until Jesus returns as the ruler.
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PART 1: JESUS CHRIST — THE JEWISH MESSIAH
(This Part 1 section is based on the article “Jesus is a Jew”. Used with credit and gratitude to the original source. We highly recommend readers visit this website for other excellent Bible teachings.)
Jesus Was Born a Jew
Jesus is a real, historical person, born in the Land of Israel during the Roman occupation, in approximately the year 3 BCE. However, at the time His name was actually pronounced “Yeshua” (יֵשׁוּעַ), and that is the name used in this study.
That Yeshua was born Jewish is one of the least contested truths of the Bible. The very first verse of the New Covenant reads:
“The book of the genealogy of Messiah Yeshua (“Jesus Christ”), the son of David, the son of Abraham.” — Matthew 1:1
Who were Abraham and David?
Abraham was the first Hebrew. God changed his name from Abram (Genesis 17:5). In Genesis 14:13 he is called Abram the Hebrew. So we can see that Yeshua (Jesus) is descended from “Abram the Hebrew.” Even to this day, Jews are also called “Hebrews,” and the language of the Jews is “Hebrew.”
Abraham and his descendants were given the unconditional covenant of the Promised Land (Genesis 17:8) and the covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:10). Abraham is the father of the Jews (Acts 3:12-25). Isaac was his son and Jacob was his grandson (Matthew 1:2). Thus, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are known as the Patriarchs, the fathers of the Jews.
Jacob’s name was changed by God to “Israel” (Genesis 35:10-12) and he had twelve sons (Genesis 35:23-26) from whom come the Twelve Tribes of Israel. All of their descendants are known collectively throughout the Bible as the Children of Israel (Exodus 1:6-7).
One of those twelve sons was Judah (Genesis 35:23, Matthew 1:2) and it is from his name that we get the word ‘Jew’. Although Yehudah (Judah) was only one of the twelve, by 700 BCE, because of the course of Israel’s history, Judah became the preeminent tribe and the word Yehudee (Jew) came to mean any person descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Jeremiah 34:9). So, for instance, Saul haShaliach (the Apostle Paul) was of the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) yet he self-identified as a Jew (Acts 22:3).
David was Israel’s most beloved king, and the one whom the Lord called, “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22). In fact, the name David comes from the root meaning “beloved.”
According to the Bible, the Messiah must be descended from the actual tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) as King David was (1 Samuel 17:12, 1 Chronicles 28:4) and descended from King David himself (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6). That is why the Messiah is called Son of David (Matthew 21:9).
Yeshua (Jesus) is from the Tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14). His earthly father was descended from David (Matthew 1:6-16) and His mother was as well (Luke 1:27, 32-34, 3:23-31).
In addition, Yeshua was born King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). The King of the Jews must Himself be Jewish (Deuteronomy 17:15). His aunt Elizabeth was Jewish (a descendant of Aaron, Moses’ brother) and His uncle Zacharias was a Kohen (Jewish priest, Luke 1:5, 36). Yeshua was circumcised according to Jewish law (Luke 2:21, Leviticus 12:2-3), and redeemed according to Jewish law (Luke 2:22-23, Numbers 18:15). His mother atoned according to Jewish law (Luke 2:24, Leviticus 12:6-8). He is called The Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25) and The Glory of Thy People Israel (Luke 2:32).
Jesus was born a Jew.
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Jesus Lived as a Jew
Although He was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Micah 5:2), Yeshua was raised in Nazareth (Luke 2:39-40). Both were Jewish towns at the time, according to archaeologists and historians. Bethlehem is just south of Jerusalem while Nazareth is north, in the Galilee section. Both of Yeshua’s parents were from Nazareth (Luke 1:26-27, 2:4, 39) and they returned there with the Child “when they had done everything according to the Law of the Lord” that His birth required (Luke 2:39). His aunt and uncle were also Torah-observant Jews (Luke 1:6) so we can see that probably the whole family took their faith very seriously.
Yeshua’s parents made the 140-mile (225 km) round trip to Jerusalem every Passover (Luke 2:41) in observance of Deuteronomy 16:16. It was at the age of twelve that Yeshua stayed behind an extra three days to learn from the Temple teachers (Luke 2:46). Although He already understood the Torah well (Luke 2:47), His attitude of listening and questioning indicates love of the Hebrew scripture and respect for the teachers. He also respected the Temple itself, calling it His Father’s (Luke 2:49). Near the end of His life, He praised a widow for giving all she had to the Temple (Luke 21:1-4).
In adult life, His disciples were Jews (John 1:47, Matthew 20:25-26) and they called Him ‘Rabbi’ (John 4:31). Mary called Him ‘my Rabbi’ (John 20:16). They sought Him because they believed the Torah and the Prophets (John 1:45).
A Pharisee who had not yet come to faith in Him also addressed Yeshua as ‘Rabbi’ (John 3:2), as did a crowd of people (John 6:25). A Samaritan woman easily recognized He was a Jew (John 4:9).
Yeshua’s disciples spoke Hebrew (John 1:38, 41) and so did He; including loan words from Aramaic brought back by the Jews from their captivity in Babylon (Matthew 27:46). In the Sermon on the Mount He affirmed the authority of the Torah and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17) even in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19-20). He regularly attended synagogue (Luke 4:16) and His teaching was respected by the other congregants (Luke 4:15). He taught in the Jewish Temple (Luke 21:37) and if He were not a Jew, His going into that part of the Temple would not have been allowed (Acts 21:28-30).
Although He differed with some of His contemporaries on how to keep the commandments (Matthew 12:12), He did not disagree on whether to keep them, saying such things as, “if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). When He healed someone of leprosy, he instructed him to, “show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded…” (Matthew 8:4, Leviticus 14).
Yeshua not only taught others how to live a Jewish life, He lived it Himself. The outward signs of this were such things as wearing tzitzit (tassels) on His clothing (Luke 8:43, Matthew 14:36, Strong’s #2899) to serve as a reminder of the commandments (Numbers 15:37-39). He observed Passover (John 2:13) and went up to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). He observed Succot (John 7:2, 10) and went up to Jerusalem (John 7:14). He also observed Hanukkah (John 10:22) and probably Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah, John 5:1), going up to Jerusalem on both those occasions as well, even though it isn’t required in the Torah.
The inward sign of His Judaism was a circumcised heart (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6).
When faced with temptation, Yeshua answered from the Hebrew Scripture (Matthew 4:2-10, Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:16, 6:13). When teaching, He taught the Hebrew Scripture (Matthew 22:41-45). When admonishing, He quoted the Hebrew Scripture (Mark 7:6-13).
Yeshua self-identified as a Jew (John 4:22) and as King of the Jews (Mark 15:2). From His birth to His last Passover seder (Luke 22:14-15), Jesus lived as a Jew.
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Jesus Died a Jew
When Yeshua was taken prisoner by a Roman captain, his cohort of soldiers, and some Jewish officials (John 18:12), He was delivered into the custody of the Jewish priests, elders, and scribes (Mark 14:53). The Roman soldiers would not have placed Him under Jewish jurisdiction if He were not Jewish.
Later, Yeshua was brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council (Luke 22:66). He was (falsely) charged with an offense against Jewish Law (Matthew 26:65-66, Leviticus 24:13-14, John 19:7). Pilate, head of the Roman occupation, also recognized Jewish jurisdiction over Yeshua (John 18:31). This was because Yeshua was a Jew (John 18:35).
He unequivocally identified Himself as the Messiah (Mark 14:61-62 and John 17:3) and as we have seen above, the Messiah must be Jewish. He said He is the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:11) and, as we have also seen above, the Bible requires that the King of the Jews must be Jewish. The Jewish crowd also called Him ‘King of the Jews’ (Mark 15:12). The Roman soldiers mocked, spat on and beat Him as ‘King of the Jews’ (Mark 15:16-20) and when they crucified Him, their charge was ‘King of the Jews’ (Matthew 27:37).
The place of judgment had a Hebrew place-name (John 19:13) and the place of crucifixion had a Hebrew place-name (Mark 15:22).
Joseph of Arimathea, who took custody of Yeshua’s body, was Jewish (Luke 23:50-52) and he laid the body in his own new tomb (Matthew 27:59-60). Therefore, Yeshua was buried in a Jewish cemetery. He was also buried according to Jewish custom of the time (John 19:40).
Without a doubt, Jesus died a Jew.
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Jesus Was Resurrected a Jew
Yeshua the risen Jew told his Jewish disciples to go out and teach all the Gentiles (Matthew 28:19, Strong’s #1484).
Then, after eating, talking and walking with His disciples, Yeshua, “lifted up His hands and blessed them” (Luke 24:50). What blessing is spoken with lifted hands? The Blessing of Aaron (Numbers 6:24-26) is given in Synagogues and in Churches even to our day, and in the Synagogues it is still given as it was more than a thousand years before the resurrected Jew Yeshua gave it: with lifted hands. In fact, another name for the Blessing of Aaron is “The Lifting up of Hands” (see Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ, Ch. XVII, A. Edersheim, Eerdmans pub.).
Rav Sha’ul (the Apostle Paul) tells us that while he was on the road to Damascus Yeshua spoke to him from heaven in Hebrew (Acts 26:14). Sha’ul, a Jew who was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27-28), was fluent in Greek (Acts 21:37) and possibly many other languages, but Yeshua spoke to him in Hebrew, the language of the Jews.
Sha’ul did not become a believer until well after Yeshua’s death and resurrection, yet he wanted us to remember that Yeshua is a descendant of the Jewish king David (2 Timothy 2:8).
Many years after His resurrection, Yeshua Himself testified that He is the root and offspring of king David (Revelation 22:16), and in a time yet future, two of His titles will be Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Root of David (Revelation 5:5).
In Matthew 24:20 He told us to pray concerning the coming tribulation, that we would not have to flee on the Sabbath. At the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27-29) Yeshua told the disciples that He will celebrate the Passover seder anew with us in His Father’s kingdom.
The standard He will use at the judgment is the Law that God gave Israel through Moses. To those who do not do the will of God, He will say, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:22-23, Strong’s #458, 459).
In Hebrews 13:8 we are told Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever. So, if He ever was a Jew, He was resurrected a Jew, and He is one to this day.
He was born a Jew, He lived a Jew, He died a Jew, and He was resurrected a Jew. He is alive and Jewish now, and forevermore the same.
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PART 2: WHY CHOSEN? — THE FOUNDATION OF GOD’S COVENANT
Many people read the promises to Abraham in Genesis and assume they apply to all of his descendants, including the Arabs through Ishmael. But that is not what the Bible says. To understand God’s plan, we must start at the beginning—but then go to the verse where God narrows the covenant to Isaac and excludes Ishmael.
Genesis 12:1-3
“Now Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed.'”
Commentary: This is the beginning of the covenant. God calls Abraham and promises to bless him and make him a great nation. But at this point, the promise is broad—it does not yet specify which of Abraham’s descendants will carry the covenant. And note carefully: God does not say Abraham will own the land. He says He will show him a land and make of him a great nation. The land remains God’s.
Genesis 15:5
“Yahweh brought him outside, and said, ‘Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ He said to Abram, ‘So shall your seed be.'”
Commentary: God promises Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars. Again, this is broad. It does not yet narrow the line. And again, the emphasis is on descendants, not ownership of land.
Genesis 17:7
“I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.”
Commentary: God establishes an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his seed. But which seed? This is where we must read the next verses. And notice: the covenant is about relationship—”to be a God to you and to your seed”—not about eternal ownership of real estate.
Genesis 22:15-18
“The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, and said, ‘I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.'”
Commentary: God confirms the covenant with an oath because Abraham obeyed. This is a key verse: the blessing is tied to obedience. And it is passed through Abraham’s seed—which we will see is narrowed to Isaac.
Genesis 26:2-5 (To Isaac)
“Yahweh appeared to him, and said, ‘Don’t go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.'”
Commentary: God confirms the covenant to Isaac, and notice the word “sojourn.” Isaac is told to sojourn in the land—to live as a stranger and a pilgrim. This is the language of a steward, not an owner. And again, the blessing is tied to Abraham’s obedience.
Deuteronomy 4:37
“Because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought you out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt.”
Commentary: God chose Israel because He loved their fathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the reason for the choice: love, not merit.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8
“For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God: Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. Yahweh didn’t set his love on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: but because Yahweh loves you, and because he would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, has Yahweh brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
Commentary: God did not choose Israel because they were great. He chose them because He loved them and because He swore an oath to their fathers. This is the why of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 10:15
“Only Yahweh had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as at this day.”
Commentary: God’s choice of Israel is rooted in His love for their fathers. Again, love—not merit.
Deuteronomy 14:2,21
“For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God.”
Commentary: Israel is called to be holy because they are God’s chosen possession.
Deuteronomy 23:5
“Nevertheless Yahweh your God wouldn’t listen to Balaam; but Yahweh your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because Yahweh your God loved you.”
Commentary: God turned Balaam’s c
Commentary: God turned Balaam’s curse into a blessing because He loved Israel.
Deuteronomy 26:18,19
“and Yahweh has declared you this day to be a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments; and to make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that you may be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has spoken.”
Commentary: God declares Israel to be His own possession and calls them to be a holy people.
Deuteronomy 32:8-10
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He surrounded him. He cared for him. He kept him as the apple of his eye.”
Commentary: God set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel. Israel is God’s portion and inheritance. He cares for them as the apple of His eye.
Isaiah 43:10
“‘You are my witnesses,’ says Yahweh, ‘With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.'”
Commentary: Israel is God’s chosen witness to the nations. They were chosen to know God and to testify of Him.
Isaiah 43:4,21
“Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life. the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.”
Commentary: Israel is precious and honored in God’s sight. He loves them. He formed them for Himself, that they might declare His praise.
Isaiah 44:1,21
“Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen. Remember these things, Jacob and Israel; for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.”
Commentary: God will not forget Israel. They are His servant.
Isaiah 62:12
“They shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of Yahweh: and you shall be called Sought out, A city not forsaken.”
Commentary: Israel will be called The holy people, The redeemed of Yahweh.
Isaiah 63:7,9
“I will make mention of the loving kindnesses of Yahweh, and the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old.”
Commentary: In all Israel’s affliction, God was afflicted. In His love and pity, He redeemed them.
Jeremiah 3:14
“Return, backsliding children, says Yahweh; for I am a husband to you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”
Commentary: God calls Himself a husband to Israel.
Jeremiah 12:7
“I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.”
Commentary: Israel is the dearly beloved of God’s soul.
Jeremiah 31:3,9
“Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you. They shall come with weeping; and with petitions will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”
Commentary: God has loved Israel with an everlasting love. He is a father to Israel.
Hosea 11:1
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”
Commentary: God loved Israel from the beginning, calling them His son.
Amos 3:2
“You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”
Commentary: God chose only Israel of all the families of the earth. But with that choice comes responsibility and discipline.
Malachi 1:2
“‘I have loved you,’ says Yahweh. Yet you say, ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?’ says Yahweh, ‘Yet I loved Jacob.'”
Commentary: God declares His love for Jacob (Israel) over Esau.
Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.”
Commentary: The Gospel is for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
Romans 2:9,10
“oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Commentary: Both judgment and blessing come to the Jew first.
Romans 3:1,2
“Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the oracles of God.”
Commentary: The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
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PART 3: THE CRITICAL NARROWING — GENESIS 17:19-21
This is the key passage. If you want to understand God’s plan, go to Genesis 17:19-21. Here, God explicitly narrows the covenant to Isaac and excludes Ishmael.
Genesis 17:15-19
“God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.’ Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, ‘Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?’ Abraham said to God, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before you!’ God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.'”
Commentary: Abraham loved Ishmael. He asked God to bless Ishmael. And God did bless Ishmael. But the covenant—the everlasting covenant, the land, the promise that all nations would be blessed—was established with Isaac, the son of Sarah.
Son Mother Received the Covenant?
Ishmael Hagar (the servant) ❌ No
Isaac Sarah (the wife) ✅ Yes
Genesis 17:19-21
“God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.'”
Commentary: This is the turning point. God says clearly:
God Says What It Means
“I will establish my covenant with him” (Isaac) The covenant goes through Isaac
“As for Ishmael… I have blessed him” Ishmael receives a blessing, but not the covenant
“But my covenant I will establish with Isaac” God explicitly excludes Ishmael from the covenant
Ishmael was blessed. He became a great nation. He fathered twelve princes. But the covenant—the land, the everlasting inheritance, the promise that all nations would be blessed through his seed—was established with Isaac, the son of Sarah.
Important Clarification: The land was given to Isaac and his descendants as an everlasting inheritance, not as an eternal possession. God remains the owner. The Jews are stewards. They have been given the right to live in and care for the land, but the title deed belongs to God. God gave the covenant inheritance to the Jews so they could be the stewards of the land, but not the owners. God is the eternal owner of the land. He has given stewardship to the Jews until Jesus returns as the ruler.
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PART 4: THE JEWS ARE GOD’S PEOPLE
The Scriptures repeatedly call Israel “My people.” This is not a title they earned. It is a relationship God established. From Egypt to the Prophets to the New Testament, God calls Israel His people.
Exodus 3:7,10
“Yahweh said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.'”
Commentary: God calls Israel “My people” even while they are in slavery. Their condition does not change their identity. They are His.
Exodus 5:1
“Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.”‘”
Commentary: God demands that Pharaoh release “My people” so they can worship Him. The purpose of their freedom is service to God.
Exodus 6:7
“and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
Commentary: God takes Israel as His people. The relationship is: He is their God; they are His people.
Exodus 7:4,16
“But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. You shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:” and behold, until now you haven’t listened.'”
Commentary: God calls Israel “My people” and demands their release so they can serve Him.
Exodus 8:1,20,21,23
“Yahweh spoke to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”‘ Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he comes forth to the water; and tell him, “This is what Yahweh says, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.’ Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. I will put a division between my people and your people: by tomorrow shall this sign be.”‘”
Commentary: God distinguishes between “My people” (Israel) and Pharaoh’s people (Egypt).
Exodus 9:1,13,17
Then Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.'”‘ Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.'” as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go.'”
Commentary: Again, God calls Israel “My people” and demands their release.
Exodus 10:3,4
“Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.”‘”
Commentary: God’s demand is consistent: “Let my people go.”
Exodus 18:1
“Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, how that Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.”
Commentary: Israel is called “His people” even by Jethro.
Exodus 22:25
“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor; neither shall you charge him interest.”
Commentary: God’s people are to be treated with justice and mercy.
Exodus 32:11,12,14
“Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, ‘Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, “He brought them forth for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?” Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people.’ Yahweh repented of the evil which he said he would do to his people.”
Commentary: Even when Israel sinned with the golden calf, Moses interceded for “Your people.” God relented.
Exodus 33:13,16
“Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people. For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it in that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?”
Commentary: Moses pleads with God to go with “Your people.” Their identity is tied to His presence.
Exodus 34:9
“He said, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us; although this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.'”
Commentary: Moses asks God to take Israel as His inheritance.
Leviticus 20:24,26
“But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall be holy to me: for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.”
Commentary: God has separated Israel from the peoples to be His own.
Leviticus 26:12
“I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people.”
Commentary: This is the heart of the covenant: He is their God; they are His people.
Numbers 23:9
“For from the top of the rocks I see him, From the hills I see him: behold, it is a people that dwells alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.”
Commentary: Israel is a people that dwells alone and is not reckoned among the nations.
Deuteronomy 4:7,20
“For what great nation is there, that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him? But Yahweh has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as at this day.”
Commentary: Israel is God’s people of inheritance, brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 9:26,29
“I prayed to Yahweh, and said, Lord Yahweh, don’t destroy your people and your inheritance, that you have redeemed through your greatness, that you have brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Yet they are your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.”
Commentary: Moses intercedes for God’s people and inheritance.
Deuteronomy 21:8
“Forgive, Yahweh, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood to remain in the midst of your people Israel. The blood shall be forgiven them.”
Commentary: God’s people are the ones He has redeemed.
Deuteronomy 26:15,18,19
“Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. and Yahweh has declared you this day to be a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments; and to make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that you may be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has spoken.”
Commentary: God declares Israel to be His own possession and calls them to be a holy people.
Deuteronomy 28:9
“Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you; if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways.”
Commentary: The covenant is conditional: if they keep His commandments, then they will be established as a holy people.
Deuteronomy 29:13
“that he may establish you this day to himself for a people, and that he may be to you a God, as he spoke to you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
Commentary: The covenant is established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the patriarchs.
Deuteronomy 32:9
“For Yahweh’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.”
Commentary: Israel is God’s portion and inheritance. But notice: this is about relationship, not about ownership of land.
1 Samuel 9:16,17
“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry is come to me. When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people.”
Commentary: God calls Israel “My people” and appoints a king over them.
1 Samuel 10:1
“Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, Isn’t it that Yahweh has anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?”
Commentary: Saul is anointed prince over God’s inheritance—Israel.
1 Samuel 12:22
“For Yahweh will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Yahweh to make you a people to himself.”
Commentary: God will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake. His reputation is tied to His covenant faithfulness.
1 Samuel 13:14
“But now your kingdom shall not continue: Yahweh has sought him a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.”
Commentary: David is chosen as a man after God’s own heart to be prince over His people.
1 Samuel 26:19
“Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be Yahweh that has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Yahweh: for they have driven me out this day that I shouldn’t cling to Yahweh’s inheritance, saying, Go, serve other gods.”
Commentary: David calls Israel Yahweh’s inheritance.
2 Samuel 3:18
“now then do it; for Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.”
Commentary: God promises to save His people Israel through David.
2 Samuel 5:2,12
“In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel: and Yahweh said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel. perceived that Yahweh had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.”
Commentary: David is called to be shepherd of God’s people Israel.
2 Samuel 6:21
“David said to Michal, It was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Yahweh, over Israel: therefore will I play before Yahweh.”
Commentary: David is appointed prince over the people of Yahweh.
2 Samuel 7:8,10,11,16,23,24
“Now therefore thus you shall tell my servant David, Thus says Yahweh of Armies, I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people, over Israel; I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first, and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover Yahweh tells you that Yahweh will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you: your throne shall be established forever. What one nation in the earth is like your people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for your land, before your people, whom you redeem to you out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods? You did establish to yourself your people Israel to be a people to you forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God.”
Commentary: God promises to plant Israel in their own place and to make them a people to Himself forever. This is the Davidic covenant.
2 Samuel 14:16
“For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.”
Commentary: Israel is called the inheritance of God.
2 Samuel 20:19
“I am of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel: you seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why will you swallow up the inheritance of Yahweh?”
Commentary: Israel is the inheritance of Yahweh.
2 Samuel 21:3
“and David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?”
Commentary: Israel is the inheritance of Yahweh.
1 Kings 3:8,9
“Your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this your great people?”
Commentary: Solomon asks for wisdom to judge God’s people.
1 Kings 6:13
“I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”
Commentary: God promises to dwell among His people and not forsake them.
1 Kings 8:16,30,33,34,36,38,41,43,50-53,56,59
“Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Listen you to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house: then hear you in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers. then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for your name’s sake hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as does your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by my name. and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you. Blessed be Yahweh, who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant. Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require.”
Commentary: Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple repeatedly calls Israel “Your people” and “Your inheritance.” God’s faithfulness to His promises is celebrated.
1 Kings 11:39
“I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever.”
Commentary: Even when God afflicts the seed of David, it is not forever.
1 Kings 14:7,15,16
“Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you prince over my people Israel. For Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking Yahweh to anger. He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and with which he has made Israel to sin.”
Commentary: Even when God judges, He still calls Israel “My people.”
1 Kings 16:2
“Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins.”
Commentary: The kings are accountable for leading God’s people into sin.
2 Kings 9:6
“He arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, I have anointed you king over the people of Yahweh, even over Israel.”
Commentary: The king is anointed over the people of Yahweh.
2 Kings 11:17
“Jehoiada made a covenant between Yahweh and the king and the people, that they should be Yahweh’s people; between the king also and the people.”
Commentary: A covenant is made that Israel should be Yahweh’s people.
2 Kings 14:27
“Yahweh didn’t say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under the sky; but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.”
Commentary: God did not blot out the name of Israel.
2 Kings 19:30,31
“The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape: the zeal of Yahweh shall perform this.”
Commentary: A remnant will escape and take root again.
2 Kings 21:14
“I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies.”
Commentary: Israel is the remnant of God’s inheritance.
1 Chronicles 11:2
“In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel: and Yahweh your God said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.”
Commentary: David is called to shepherd God’s people Israel.
1 Chronicles 14:2
“David perceived that Yahweh had established him king over Israel; for his kingdom was exalted on high, for his people Israel’s sake.”
Commentary: David’s kingdom is exalted for the sake of God’s people Israel.
1 Chronicles 16:13
“you seed of Israel his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.”
Commentary: The children of Jacob are God’s chosen ones.
1 Chronicles 17:6,7,9,10,21,22
“In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, spoke I a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? Now therefore thus you shall tell my servant David, Thus says Yahweh of Armies, I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel: I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first, and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that Yahweh will build you a house. What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeem out of Egypt? For your people Israel did you make your own people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God.”
Commentary: This is a parallel to 2 Samuel 7. God promises to plant Israel and to make them His own people forever.
1 Chronicles 21:3,17
“Joab said, Yahweh make his people a hundred times as many as they are: but, my lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel? David said to God, Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father’s house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.”
Commentary: David intercedes for God’s people, calling them “these sheep.”
1 Chronicles 23:25
“For David said, Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.”
Commentary: God gives rest to His people.
1 Chronicles 29:17,18,23
“I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, that are present here, offer willingly to you. Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart to you. Then Solomon sat on the throne of Yahweh as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.”
Commentary: David prays that God would keep the hearts of His people fixed on Him. Solomon sits on the throne of Yahweh.
2 Chronicles 2:11
“Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, ‘Because Yahweh loves his people, he has made you king over them.'”
Commentary: Even a Gentile king recognizes that God loves His people.
2 Chronicles 6:5,6,10,16,21,24,25,27,29,32,33,34,36-39
Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be prince over my people Israel: but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. Yahweh has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive. If your people Israel be struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again and confess your name, and pray and make supplication before you in this house; then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers. then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house: Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come from a far country for your great name’s sake, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm; when they shall come and pray toward this house: then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, and fear you, as does your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name. If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name; If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to a land far off or near; yet if they shall repent themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly; if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name: then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.”
Commentary: This is Solomon’s prayer at the Temple. It repeats the theme: Israel is “Your people” and the land is “Your land” given as an inheritance.
2 Chronicles 7:10,13,14,18
“On the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people. If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.'”
Commentary: This is the key verse for America and for all nations: 2 Chronicles 7:14. God calls Israel “My people, who are called by my name.” The condition for healing is humility, prayer, seeking His face, and repentance.
2 Chronicles 9:8
“Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God: because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore made he you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”
Commentary: God loved Israel and established them forever.
2 Chronicles 20:7
“Did not you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham your friend forever?”
Commentary: The land was given to the seed of Abraham—Israel.
2 Chronicles 30:6
“So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, You children of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that have escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.”
Commentary: The call is to return to Yahweh so He may return to the remnant.
2 Chronicles 31:8,10
“When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh, and his people Israel. Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.”
Commentary: God blesses His people when they bring their offerings to Him.
2 Chronicles 32:17
“Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.”
Commentary: Again, God blesses His people with abundance.
2 Chronicles 34:9
“They came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Commentary: The remnant of Israel brings offerings to the house of God.
2 Chronicles 35:3
“He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to Yahweh, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden on your shoulders: now serve Yahweh your God, and his people Israel.”
Commentary: The Levites are to serve Yahweh and His people Israel.
2 Chronicles 36:15,16,23
“Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of Yahweh arose against his people, until there was no remedy. Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has Yahweh, the God of heaven, given me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up.”
Commentary: God had compassion on His people and sent messengers to them. Even in judgment, He remembers His covenant.
Ezra 1:3
“Whoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.”
Commentary: Cyrus releases God’s people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
Ezra 2:1
“Now these are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.”
Commentary: The Jews returned from captivity to Jerusalem and Judah.
Ezra 5:12
“But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.”
Commentary: God gave them into captivity because they provoked Him to wrath.
Ezra 9:8,9,15
“Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand before you because of this.”
Commentary: God has not forsaken His people in bondage. A remnant has escaped.
Nehemiah 1:8,9,10
“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples: but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there. Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand.”
Commentary: God will gather His people even from the uttermost parts of the heavens. They are His servants and His people.
Nehemiah 9:32
“Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keep covenant and loving kindness, don’t let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.”
Commentary: Nehemiah prays for “all your people.”
Esther 3:8
“Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different than other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain.'”
Commentary: The Jews are described as scattered and dispersed among the peoples.
Psalm 14:7
“Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When Yahweh restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”
Commentary: The psalmist longs for the salvation of Israel and the restoration of God’s people.
Psalm 28:9
“Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.”
Commentary: God is asked to save His people, bless His inheritance, and shepherd them forever.
Psalm 33:12
“Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.”
Commentary: The nation whose God is Yahweh is blessed. Israel is His chosen inheritance.
Psalm 44:3,11,12
“For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them. You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations. You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.”
Commentary: Israel did not possess the land by their own power—it was God’s favor. The psalmist laments that God’s people have been scattered.
Psalm 50:4,7
“He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that he may judge his people: ‘Hear, my people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against you.'”
Commentary: God calls Israel “My people” even when He is testifying against them.
Psalm 53:6
“Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”
Commentary: The psalmist longs for God to bring back His people from captivity.
Psalm 68:9
You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.”
Commentary: God confirms His inheritance when it is weary.
Psalm 69:33
“For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.”
Commentary: God does not despise His captive people.
Psalm 74:2
“Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.”
Commentary: Israel is the tribe of God’s inheritance.
Psalm 78:62,71
“He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance. from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”
Commentary: Israel is God’s inheritance, and David is called to shepherd them.
Psalm 89:4,29,30-37
“‘I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations.’ I will also make his seed endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and don’t walk in my ordinances; if they break my statutes, and don’t keep my commandments; then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail. I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered. Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David. His seed will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me. It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.”
Commentary: God will not break His covenant with David. Even when He punishes, He will not completely take His loving kindness from him.
Psalm 94:5,14
“They break your people in pieces, Yahweh, and afflict your heritage. For Yahweh won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.”
Commentary: God will not reject His people nor forsake His inheritance.
Psalm 105:6,8-11
“You seed of Abraham, his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.”
Commentary: The children of Jacob are God’s chosen ones. God remembers His covenant forever.
Psalm 106:5,26,27,40,47
“that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance. Therefore he swore to them that he would overthrow them in the wilderness, that he would overthrow their seed among the nations, and scatter them in the lands. Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance. Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise!”
Commentary: The psalmist identifies with God’s chosen people and His inheritance. He prays for God to gather them from among the nations.
Psalm 107:2-7
“Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, And gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way. They found no city to live in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses, he led them also by a straight way, that they might go to a city to live in.”
Commentary: God gathers His redeemed from east, west, north, and south.
Psalm 122:5
“For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David’s house.”
Commentary: The thrones of David’s house are set for judgment.
Psalm 126:1-4
“When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘Yahweh has done great things for them.’ Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad. Restore our fortunes again, Yahweh, like the streams in the Negev.”
Commentary: When God restores Zion, there is laughter and singing.
Psalm 132:11
“Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: ‘I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.'”
Commentary: God has sworn to David that the fruit of his body will sit on his throne.
Psalm 135:4
“For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.”
Commentary: God chose Jacob for Himself. Israel is His own possession.
Psalm 147:2,19,20
“Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He shows his word to Jacob; his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done this for just any nation. They don’t know his ordinances. Praise Yah!”
Commentary: God gathers the outcasts of Israel. He gave His word to Jacob, not to any other nation.
Psalm 148:14
“He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near to him. Praise Yah!”
Commentary: Israel is a people near to Him.
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PART 5: THE COVENANT CONFIRMED TO ISAAC
Genesis 26:3-4 (To Isaac)
“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
Commentary: God confirms the covenant directly to Isaac. The land promise, the multiplication, and the blessing to all nations are all passed to Isaac.
But notice the word “sojourn.” God tells Isaac to sojourn in the land—to live there as a stranger and a pilgrim. This is the language of a steward, not an owner. The land was given to him to dwell in, not to own absolutely. God gave the covenant inheritance to the Jews so they could be the stewards of the land, but not the owners. God is the eternal owner of the land. He has given stewardship to the Jews until Jesus returns as the ruler.
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PART 6: THE COVENANT PASSED TO JACOB (NOT ESAU)
Genesis 27:29
“Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
Commentary: Isaac blesses Jacob with the blessing of the firstborn. This is the blessing/cursing principle applied specifically to Jacob, not Esau.
Genesis 28:13-15
“Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, ‘I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed. Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.'”
Commentary: God confirms the covenant to Jacob directly. The land, the seed, and the blessing to all families of the earth are passed to Jacob.
But again, notice that the promise is about dwelling and inheritance, not about eternal ownership. The land is God’s. He gives it to His people to inherit as stewards. God gave the covenant inheritance to the Jews so they could be the stewards of the land, but not the owners. God is the eternal owner of the land. He has given stewardship to the Jews until Jesus returns as the ruler.
Genesis 48:3-4
“Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said to me, “Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.”‘”
Commentary: Jacob passes the promise to his descendants—the twelve tribes of Israel. The land is called an everlasting possession in some translations. But the Hebrew word used here is achuzzah, which means “holding” or “inheritance”—something that is held by a steward under the authority of the true owner. It does not mean absolute, eternal ownership.
This is the same word used in Leviticus 25:23 where God says:
“The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.”
God is the owner. The Jews are the stewards. God gave the covenant inheritance to the Jews so they could be the stewards of the land, but not the owners. God is the eternal owner of the land. He has given stewardship to the Jews until Jesus returns as the ruler.
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PART 7: THE COVENANT CONFIRMED TO ISRAEL
Exodus 4:22
“You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn.'”
Commentary: Israel is called God’s firstborn son. This is a unique relationship. No other nation is called God’s firstborn. But even as a firstborn son receives an inheritance from his father, he does not become the father. God remains the Father. Israel is the son. The inheritance is held under the Father’s authority.
Exodus 6:6-7
“Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.'”
Commentary: God redeems Israel from Egypt and takes them as His own people.
Exodus 19:5,6
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Commentary: Israel is God’s own possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. But look at the key phrase: “for all the earth is Mine.” God explicitly declares that He owns everything. Israel is His treasure, but the treasure belongs to the owner.
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PART 8: THE COVENANT CONFIRMED IN THE PSALMS
Psalm 33:12
“Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.”
Commentary: The nation whose God is Yahweh is blessed. Israel is His chosen inheritance.
Psalm 105:6
“You seed of Abraham, his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.”
Commentary: The children of Jacob are God’s chosen ones.
Psalm 105:8-11
“He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.”
Commentary: God’s covenant is everlasting. He confirmed it to Jacob and promised the land of Canaan as an inheritance.
Important Clarification: The word “inheritance” (nachalah) is the key. In ancient Israel, an inheritance was passed from father to son. The son did not own the land absolutely—he held it in trust as part of the family estate. The father was the patriarch. The son was the heir. In the same way, God is the Father. Israel is the son. The land is the inheritance, held under God’s ultimate authority. God gave the covenant inheritance to the Jews so they could be the stewards of the land, but not the owners. God is the eternal owner of the land. He has given stewardship to the Jews until Jesus returns as the ruler.
Psalm 106:5
“That I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.”
Commentary: The psalmist identifies with God’s chosen people and His inheritance.
Psalm 135:4
“For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.”
Commentary: God chose Jacob for Himself. Israel is His own possession.
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PART 9: THE COVENANT CONFIRMED BY THE PROPHETS
Isaiah 41:8-9
“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you away.'”
Commentary: God calls Israel His servant and says He has chosen them and not cast them away. The word servant is the language of stewardship, not ownership.
Isaiah 43:10
“‘You are my witnesses,’ says Yahweh, ‘With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.'”
Commentary: Israel is God’s chosen witness to the nations.
Isaiah 43:20-21
“The animals of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.”
Commentary: God formed Israel for Himself, that they might declare His praise.
Isaiah 44:1-2
“Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what Yahweh who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: ‘Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.'”
Commentary: God reassures Jacob—Israel—that He has chosen them and will help them.
Isaiah 45:4
“For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known me.”
Commentary: God acts for the sake of Jacob and Israel, His chosen.
Isaiah 48:9-11
“For my name’s sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, will I do it; for how should my name be profaned? and my glory I will not give to another.”
Commentary: God defers His anger for His name’s sake, so that He does not cut off Israel completely.
Isaiah 49:7,14-16,18,21,22
“Yahweh who has chosen you, the Holy One of Israel, says… But Zion said, Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live, says Yahweh, you shall surely clothe you with them all as with an ornament, and gird yourself with them, like a bride. Then you will say in your heart, Who has conceived these for me, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering back and forth? and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they? Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my banner to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.”
Commentary: God will not forget Israel. He has engraved them on the palms of His hands. The nations will bring Israel’s sons and daughters back.
Isaiah 51:11
“The ransomed of Yahweh shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Commentary: The ransomed of Yahweh will return to Zion with singing.
Isaiah 54:7-10
“For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you. In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving kindness will I have mercy on you, says Yahweh your Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, says Yahweh who has mercy on you.”
Commentary: God’s loving kindness shall not depart from Israel. His covenant of peace shall not be removed.
Isaiah 56:8
“The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, Yet will I gather others to him, besides his own who are gathered.”
Commentary: God gathers the outcasts of Israel.
Isaiah 60:4,8,9,12
“Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the islands shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly destroyed.”
Commentary: The nations will bring Israel’s sons and daughters back. Those who refuse to serve Israel will perish.
Important Clarification: This verse is often misunderstood to mean Israel will rule the nations forever. But read it in context. This is speaking of the Millennial Kingdom, when Jesus Christ will rule from Jerusalem. The nations will come to worship the King (Zechariah 14:16-17). Israel will be exalted because the King is in her midst. The glory is not Israel’s own—it is the King’s glory radiating through her.
Isaiah 66:20
“They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.”
Commentary: The nations will bring Israel’s brothers back to Jerusalem as an offering to Yahweh.
Jeremiah 2:7
“I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat its fruit and its goodness; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.”
Commentary: Israel defiled God’s land and made His heritage an abomination.
Jeremiah 3:14
“Return, backsliding children, says Yahweh; for I am a husband to you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”
Commentary: God calls Himself a husband to Israel and promises to bring them to Zion.
Jeremiah 4:27
“For thus says Yahweh, The whole land shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a full end.”
Commentary: Even in judgment, God will not make a full end.
Jeremiah 5:10,18
“Go up on her walls, and destroy; but don’t make a full end: take away her branches; for they are not Yahweh’s. But even in those days, says Yahweh, I will not make a full end with you.”
Commentary: God will not make a full end of Israel.
Jeremiah 6:9
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn again your hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets.”
Commentary: God speaks of the remnant of Israel.
Jeremiah 8:3
“Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them, says Yahweh of Armies.”
Commentary: God speaks of the residue that remain in all the places where He has driven them.
Jeremiah 9:16
“I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”
Commentary: God will scatter them among the nations.
Jeremiah 10:16
“The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.”
Commentary: Israel is the tribe of God’s inheritance.
Jeremiah 12:7,8,9,14
“I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage is become to me as a lion in the forest: she has uttered her voice against me; therefore I have hated her. Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her all around? go you, assemble all the animals of the field, bring them to devour. Thus says Yahweh against all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.”
Commentary: Israel is the dearly beloved of God’s soul. God will judge the nations that touch the inheritance He gave to Israel.
Jeremiah 13:13,24
“Then you shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.”
Commentary: God will scatter them like stubble.
Jeremiah 15:2
“It shall happen, when they tell you, Where shall we go forth? then you shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.”
Commentary: God pronounces judgment: death, sword, famine, and captivity.
Jeremiah 16:10-16,18
“It shall happen, when you shall show this people all these words, and they shall tell you, Why has Yahweh pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against Yahweh our God? Then you shall tell them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, says Yahweh, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshiped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; and you have done evil more than your fathers; for, behold, you walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that you don’t listen to me: therefore will I cast you forth out of this land into the land that you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night; for I will show you no favor. Therefore, behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that it shall no more be said, As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them. I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishermen, says Yahweh, and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”
Commentary: God will cast them forth out of this land because of their sins. But He will also bring them again into their land. He will send fishermen and hunters to gather them.
Jeremiah 17:4,25
“You, even of yourself, shall discontinue from your heritage that I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know: for you have kindled a fire in my anger which shall burn forever. then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever.”
Commentary: God will cause them to serve their enemies. But the city will remain forever.
Jeremiah 18:17
“I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.”
Commentary: God will scatter them like an east wind.
Jeremiah 20:4
“For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself, and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword.”
Commentary: God gives Judah into the hand of Babylon.
Jeremiah 22:2,4,30
“Say, Hear the word of Yahweh, king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter in by these gates. For if you do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. Thus says Yahweh, Write you this man childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.”
Commentary: Kings will sit on the throne of David, but Jehoiakim’s seed will not prosper.
Jeremiah 23:1-3,7,8
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says Yahweh. Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed my people: You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings, says Yahweh. I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply. Therefore, behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that they shall no more say, As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them. They shall dwell in their own land.”
Commentary: God will gather the remnant of His flock out of all the countries where He has driven them.
Jeremiah 24:5,6,9
“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so will I regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good. For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. I will even give them up to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil; to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I shall drive them.”
Commentary: God will bring them again to this land and plant them.
Jeremiah 29:10,14,16,18,19
“For thus says Yahweh, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. I will be found by you, says Yahweh, and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh; and I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive. thus says Yahweh concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone forth with you into captivity; I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them; because they have not listened to my words, says Yahweh, with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: After seventy years, God will gather them from all the nations.
Jeremiah 30:3,10,11,18
“For, behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will turn again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says Yahweh; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. Therefore don’t you be afraid, O Jacob my servant, says Yahweh; neither be dismayed, Israel: for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with you, says Yahweh, to save you: for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished. Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I will turn again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have compassion on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built on its own hill, and the palace shall be inhabited after its own manner.”
Commentary: God will turn again the captivity of Israel and Judah. He will not make a full end of them.
Jeremiah 31:3,7,8-12,16,17,21,23,31-37
“Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you. For thus says Yahweh, Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations: publish you, praise you, and say, Yahweh, save your people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together: a great company shall they return here. They shall come with weeping; and with petitions will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of Yahweh, you nations, and declare it in the islands afar off; and say, He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as shepherd does his flock. For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow to the goodness of Yahweh, to the grain, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Thus says Yahweh: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says Yahweh; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your latter end, says Yahweh; and your children shall come again to their own border. Set up road signs, make guideposts; set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went: turn again, virgin of Israel, turn again to these your cities. Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, Yet again shall they use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I shall bring again their captivity: Yahweh bless you, habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. Thus says Yahweh, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar; Yahweh of Armies is his name: If these ordinances depart from before me, says Yahweh, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever. Thus says Yahweh: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: God has loved Israel with an everlasting love. He will gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth. The New Covenant is made with the house of Israel. And God will not cast off the seed of Israel.
Jeremiah 32:37-42
Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, where I have driven them in my anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus says Yahweh: Like as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so will I bring on them all the good that I have promised them.”
Commentary: God will gather them out of all the countries. He will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Jeremiah 33:7,10-26
“I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. Thus says Yahweh: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, about which you say, It is waste, without man and without animal, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, Give thanks to Yahweh of Armies, for Yahweh is good, for his loving kindness endures forever; and of them who bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of Yahweh. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, says Yahweh. Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him who numbers them, says Yahweh. Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. For thus says Yahweh: David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; Thus says Yahweh: If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, Don’t you consider what this people has spoken, saying, The two families which Yahweh did choose, he has cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. Thus says Yahweh: If my covenant of day and night fails, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.”
Commentary: God will cause the captivity of Judah and Israel to return. David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. God will not cast away the seed of Jacob.
Jeremiah 34:17
“Therefore thus says Yahweh: you have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim to you a liberty, says Yahweh, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.”
Commentary: God will make them tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.
Jeremiah 36:30
“Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.”
Commentary: Jehoiakim shall have none to sit on the throne of David.
Jeremiah 43:5
“But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, who were returned from all the nations where they had been driven, to sojourn in the land of Judah.”
Commentary: The remnant of Judah returned from all the nations.
Jeremiah 46:27,28
“But don’t be afraid you, Jacob my servant, neither be dismayed, Israel: for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Don’t be afraid you, O Jacob my servant, says Yahweh; for I am with you: for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you; but I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.”
Commentary: God will save Jacob from afar and not make a full end of him.
Jeremiah 50:4,5,11,17,19
“In those days, and in that time, says Yahweh, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; they shall go on their way weeping, and shall seek Yahweh their God. They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned toward it, saying, Come you, and join yourselves to Yahweh in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten. Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you who plunder my heritage, because you are wanton as a heifer that treads out the grain, and neigh as strong horses; Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones. I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.”
Commentary: Israel and Judah shall come together and seek Yahweh. God will bring Israel again to his pasture.
Jeremiah 51:5,19
“For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, of his God, of Yahweh of Armies; though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.”
Commentary: Israel is not forsaken by his God. Israel is the tribe of God’s inheritance.
Lamentations 1:3,5,18
“Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest: all her persecutors overtook her within the straits. Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; for Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary. Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow: My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.”
Commentary: Judah dwells among the nations and finds no rest.
Lamentations 2:9
“Her gates are sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars: Her king and her princes are among the nations where the law is not; Yes, her prophets find no vision from Yahweh.”
Commentary: Israel’s king and princes are among the nations.
Lamentations 3:31,32
“For the Lord will not cast off forever. For though he cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.”
Commentary: The Lord will not cast off forever. He will have compassion.
Lamentations 4:16,22
“The anger of Yahweh has scattered them; he will no more regard them: They didn’t respect the persons of the priests, they didn’t favor the elders. The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.”
Commentary: God has scattered them, but the punishment will be accomplished.
Ezekiel 1:1
“Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”
Commentary: Ezekiel was among the captives by the river Chebar.
Ezekiel 3:11,15
“Go, get you to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv, that lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.”
Commentary: Ezekiel goes to them of the captivity.
Ezekiel 4:13
“Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.”
Commentary: Israel will eat their bread unclean among the nations.
Ezekiel 5:5-12
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are around her. She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you are turbulent more than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you; therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations. I will do in you that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all your abominations. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of you, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you; and the whole remnant of you will I scatter to all the winds. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish you; neither shall my eye spare, and I also will have no pity. A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.”
Commentary: God will execute judgments on Jerusalem in the sight of the nations.
Ezekiel 6:8,9
“Yet will I leave a remnant, in that you shall have some that escape the sword among the nations, when you shall be scattered through the countries. Those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations where they shall be carried captive, how that I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.”
Commentary: God will leave a remnant that escapes the sword among the nations.
Ezekiel 11:13-21
“It happened, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord Yahweh! will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel? The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from Yahweh; to us is this land given for a possession. Therefore say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come. Therefore say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. They shall come there, and they shall take away all the detestable things of it and all its abominations from there. I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
Commentary: God will be a sanctuary to them in the countries where they are scattered. He will gather them and give them the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 12:3,4,7,11,14,15
“Therefore, you son of man, prepare you stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and you shall remove from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. You shall bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing; and you shall go forth yourself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile. I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight. Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity. I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. They shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.”
Commentary: Ezekiel is a sign of the exile and captivity.
Ezekiel 14:22
“Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings; and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.”
Commentary: A remnant shall be left.
Ezekiel 16:53,55,60-63
“I will turn again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives in the midst of them; Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate. Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish to you an everlasting covenant. Then you shall remember your ways, and be ashamed, when you shall receive your sisters, your elder sisters and your younger; and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant. I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done, says the Lord Yahweh.”
Commentary: God will remember His covenant and establish an everlasting covenant.
Ezekiel 17:21
“All his fugitives in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind: and you shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it.”
Commentary: Those who remain shall be scattered toward every wind.
Ezekiel 20:23,24,34,35,40-42
“Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. and I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face. For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things. As a pleasant aroma will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.”
Commentary: God will gather them out of the countries and bring them into the land of Israel.
Ezekiel 22:15
“I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries; and I will consume your filthiness out of you.”
Commentary: God will scatter them among the nations.
Ezekiel 25:3
“and tell the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Because you said, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity.”
Commentary: Ammon rejoiced when Judah went into captivity.
Ezekiel 28:25
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.”
Commentary: God will gather the house of Israel and they will dwell in their own land.
Ezekiel 34:5,6,11-16,21
“They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who searched or sought. For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture; and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord Yahweh. I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice. Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad.”
Commentary: God Himself will search for His sheep and gather them from the countries.
Ezekiel 36:8-12,16-38
“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn into you, and you shall be tilled and sown; and I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built; and I will multiply on you man and animal; and they shall increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited after your former estate, and will do better to you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am Yahweh. Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no more henceforth bereave them of children. Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols; and I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. When they came to the nations, where they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, These are the people of Yahweh, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations, where they went. Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, says the Lord Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Nor for your sake do I this, says the Lord Yahweh, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel. Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built. The land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all who passed by. They shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus says the Lord Yahweh: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock. As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.”
Commentary: God will gather them out of all the countries and bring them into their own land. He will give them a new heart and a new spirit. He will dwell in the midst of them forever.
Ezekiel 37:1-28
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: This is the vision of the valley of dry bones. God will open their graves and bring them into the land of Israel. He will make them one nation with one king—David (the Messiah). He will make an everlasting covenant of peace with them and set His sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore.
Ezekiel 38:8,12
“After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them. to take the spoil and to take the prey; to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten livestock and goods, who dwell in the middle of the earth.”
Commentary: In the latter years, Israel will be gathered out of many peoples and dwell securely.
Ezekiel 39:23,24,25,27,28
“The nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they trespassed against me, and I hid my face from them: so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they fell all of them by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions did I to them; and I hid my face from them. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Now will I bring back the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name; when I have brought them back from the peoples, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations. They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them to their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there.”
Commentary: God will bring back the captivity of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel.
Ezekiel 43:7,9
“He said to me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. The house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their prostitution, and by the dead bodies of their kings in their high places; Now let them put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me; and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.”
Commentary: God will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.
Daniel 6:13
“Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t regard you, O king, nor the interdict that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Commentary: Daniel is described as being of the children of the captivity of Judah.
Daniel 9:7
“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.”
Commentary: Israel is far off through all the countries where God has driven them.
Daniel 11:33
“Those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, many days.”
Commentary: The wise among God’s people shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil.
Hosea 1:11
“The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel.”
Commentary: The children of Judah and Israel will be gathered together and appoint one head.
Hosea 2:19
“I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.”
Commentary: God will betroth Israel to Himself forever.
Hosea 8:8,10
“Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like a worthless thing. But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.”
Commentary: Israel is among the nations, but God will gather them.
Hosea 9:17
“My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.”
Commentary: Israel will be wanderers among the nations.
Hosea 11:1,8,9,10,11
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused. I will not execute the fierceness of my anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of you; and I will not come in wrath. They will walk after Yahweh, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: God’s heart is turned within Him. He will not execute the fierceness of His anger. He will settle them in their houses.
Joel 2:17,18,19,26,27,32
“Let the priests, the ministers of Yahweh, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, ‘Spare your people, Yahweh, and don’t give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, “Where is their God?”‘ Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people. Yahweh answered his people, ‘Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied with them; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, and will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and my people will never again be disappointed. You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; and my people will never again be disappointed. It will happen that whoever will call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.'”
Commentary: God has pity on His people and promises restoration and abundance. There will be a remnant whom Yahweh calls.
Joel 3:2,3,16,20
“I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.”
Commentary: God will judge the nations for how they treated His people and His heritage, Israel. Judah will be inhabited forever.
Amos 3:2
“You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”
Commentary: God chose only Israel of all the families of the earth.
Amos 5:5,27
“but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,’ says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Armies.”
Commentary: God will cause them to go into captivity beyond Damascus.
Amos 6:7
“Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; and the feasting and lounging will end.”
Commentary: They will go captive with the first who go captive.
Amos 7:8,11,15,17
“Yahweh said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more. For Amos says, “Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.”‘ Therefore thus says Yahweh: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’ and Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'”
Commentary: God sets a plumb line in the midst of His people Israel. Israel shall be led away captive.
Amos 8:2,12
“He said, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ I said, ‘A basket of summer fruit.’ Then Yahweh said to me, ‘The end has come on my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more. They will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will run back and forth to seek the word of Yahweh, and will not find it.'”
Commentary: The end has come on God’s people Israel. They will wander from sea to sea.
Amos 9:4,8,9,10,14,15
Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good. Behold, the eyes of the Lord Yahweh are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the surface of the earth; except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,’ says Yahweh. ‘For, behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet not the least kernel will fall on the earth. All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, “Evil won’t overtake nor meet us.” I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them,’ says Yahweh your God.”
Commentary: God will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob. He will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, yet not the least kernel will fall on the earth. He will bring His people Israel back from captivity and plant them on their land.
Obadiah 1:13,20
“Don’t enter into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Don’t look down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither seize their wealth on the day of their calamity. The captives of this army of the children of Israel, who are among the Canaanites, will possess even to Zarephath; and the captives of Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, will possess the cities of the Negev.”
Commentary: God warns the nations not to take advantage of His people in their calamity. The captives of Israel will possess their cities.
Micah 1:9,16
“For her wounds are incurable; for it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. Shave your heads, and cut off your hair for the children of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the vulture; for they have gone into captivity from you!”
Commentary: The prophet laments the wounds of God’s people. They have gone into captivity.
Micah 2:8,9,12
“But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle. You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever. I will surely assemble, Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they will swarm with people.”
Commentary: God accuses the wicked among His people of oppressing the vulnerable. But He will surely gather the remnant of Israel.
Micah 3:3,5
“who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, ‘Peace!’ and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against him.”
Commentary: The wicked leaders devour God’s people. False prophets lead God’s people astray.
Micah 4:1-2,6,7,10
“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. In that day,’ says Yahweh, ‘I will assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted; and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go forth out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.”
Commentary: The Temple will be rebuilt on Mount Zion. Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. They will go to Babylon but will be rescued.
Micah 5:7,8
“The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.”
Commentary: The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations like dew from Yahweh.
Micah 6:2,3,5,16
“Hear, you mountains, Yahweh’s controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for Yahweh has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me! My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh. For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people.”
Commentary: God pleads with His people: “My people, what have I done to you?” This is the heart of God for His people.
Micah 7:8,9,14,18-20
“Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light. I will see his righteousness. Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the midst of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.”
Commentary: When Israel falls, they will arise. God will plead their case. He will cast their sins into the depths of the sea.
Habakkuk 3:13
“You went forth for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the land of wickedness. You stripped them head to foot.”
Commentary: God goes forth for the salvation of His people.
Zephaniah 2:7,8-10
“The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for Yahweh, their God, will visit them, and restore them. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them. This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Yahweh of Armies.”
Commentary: God will restore the remnant of the house of Judah. He will judge the nations that reproached His people.
Zephaniah 3:10,13,19,20
“From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering. The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid. Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you, and I will save those who are lame, and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honor, whose shame has been in all the earth. At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity. God will gather those who were driven away.
Haggai 1:12,14
“Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Yahweh, their God, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as Yahweh, their God, had sent him; and the people feared Yahweh. Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of Yahweh of Armies, their God.”
Commentary: The remnant of the people obeyed the voice of Yahweh and worked on the house of God.
Zechariah 1:19,21
“I asked the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these?’ He answered me, ‘These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.’ Then I asked, ‘What are these coming to do?’ He said, ‘These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.'”
Commentary: The horns scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
Zechariah 2:6
“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,’ says Yahweh; ‘for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the sky,’ says Yahweh.”
Commentary: God has spread them abroad as the four winds of the sky.
Zechariah 6:10
“‘Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon.'”
Commentary: Those of the captivity have come from Babylon.
Zechariah 7:14
“‘but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they made the pleasant land desolate.'”
Commentary: God will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations.
Zechariah 8:6,7,8,12
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?’ says Yahweh of Armies. Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.’ ‘For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.'”
Commentary: God will save His people from the east country and from the west country. They will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Zechariah 9:16
“Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land.”
Commentary: God’s people are like jewels of a crown to Him.
Zechariah 10:3,6,8-10
“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; For Yahweh of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle. I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back; for I have mercy on them; and they will be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Yahweh their God, and I will hear them. I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they will increase as they have increased. I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and there won’t be room enough for them.”
Commentary: God visits His flock, the house of Judah. He will gather them and bring them into the land.
Zechariah 13:9
“I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘It is my people;’ and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.'”
Commentary: Two-thirds will be cut off and die (Zechariah 13:8), but one-third will be refined and saved. This is the remnant that will recognize Jesus as Messiah.
Zechariah 14:2,9,16,17
“For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.”
Commentary: During the Millennial Kingdom, all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the King. Those who refuse will be disciplined.
Malachi 1:2
“‘I have loved you,’ says Yahweh. Yet you say, ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?’ says Yahweh, ‘Yet I loved Jacob.'”
Commentary: God declares His love for Jacob (Israel) over Esau.
Malachi 3:6
“‘For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.'”
Commentary: Because God does not change, the sons of Jacob are not consumed.
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PART 10: THE COVENANT CONFIRMED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Luke 1:32,33,54,55,68,72-74,77
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom. He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and worked redemption for his people; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear. to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins.”
Commentary: Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever. God has visited and worked redemption for His people.
Luke 2:32
“a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Commentary: Jesus is the glory of God’s people Israel.
Luke 7:16
“Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and, ‘God has visited his people!'”
Commentary: The people recognized that God had visited His people.
Luke 21:24
“They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Commentary: Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
John 7:35
“The Jews therefore said among themselves, ‘Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?'”
Commentary: The Jews speak of the Dispersion among the Greeks.
Acts 2:5-11
“Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. When this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!'”
Commentary: Jews from every nation under the sky were in Jerusalem.
Acts 3:25,26
“Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
Commentary: The covenant God made with the fathers is confirmed in the New Testament. God sent Jesus to bless Israel first.
Acts 6:9
“But some of those who were of the synagogue called ‘The Libertines,’ and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.”
Commentary: Jews from various regions disputed with Stephen.
Acts 7:34,43
“I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt. You took up the tent of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.'”
Commentary: God calls Israel “My people” in Egypt. He will carry them away beyond Babylon.
Acts 11:19
“They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.”
Commentary: Those scattered abroad traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.
Acts 13:17
“The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it.”
Commentary: The New Testament confirms that God chose the fathers of Israel.
Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.”
Commentary: The Gospel is for the Jew first.
Romans 2:9,10
“oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Commentary: Both judgment and blessing come to the Jew first.
Romans 3:1,2
“Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the oracles of God.”
Commentary: The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Romans 9:27
“Isaiah cries concerning Israel, ‘If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved.'”
Commentary: It is the remnant who will be saved.
Romans 11:1-5,11,15-18,23-26,29-32
“I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God didn’t reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.’ But how does God answer him? ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree; don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, ‘There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.’ For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as you in past time were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may obtain mercy. For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.”
Commentary: Paul explicitly says God has not rejected His people. Israel is beloved for the fathers’ sakes. All Israel shall be saved. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Romans 15:10,27
“Again he says, ‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.’ For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.”
Commentary: The Gentiles are called to rejoice with God’s people—not replace them.
1 Corinthians 10:12
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.”
Commentary: This is a warning to all believers, Jew and Gentile alike.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
“Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Commentary: At the last trumpet, the dead will be raised incorruptible.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.”
Commentary: The Lord will descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. Believers will be caught up to meet the Lord.
Hebrews 6:13-18
“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.”
Commentary: God confirmed His promise to Abraham with an oath. It is impossible for God to lie. His counsel is immutable.
Hebrews 8:10
“‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,’ says the Lord; ‘I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.'”
Commentary: The New Covenant is made with the house of Israel.
Hebrews 11:25
“(Moses) choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time.”
Commentary: Moses chose to identify with God’s people.
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Commentary: Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
James 1:1
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.”
Commentary: James writes to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion.
1 Peter 1:1
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.”
Commentary: Peter writes to the chosen ones living as foreigners in the Dispersion.
1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Commentary: This is spoken to believers in Christ, but it echoes the language used of Israel. The Church is grafted into the covenant promises.
Revelation 5:5
“One of the elders said to me, ‘Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome to open the book and its seven seals.'”
Commentary: Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David.
Revelation 11:15
“The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!'”
Commentary: Jesus will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 12:17
“The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.”
Commentary: The dragon makes war with the remnant of her seed.
Revelation 19:16
“He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'”
Commentary: Jesus is not only the King of the Jews. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 20:4-6
“I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.”
Commentary: Christ will reign for a thousand years. The saints will reign with Him.
Revelation 21:1-3
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'”
Commentary: After the Millennial Kingdom, the New Jerusalem will come down, and God will dwell with His people forever.
Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star.”
Commentary: Jesus is the root and the offspring of David.
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SUMMARY: THE CRITICAL DISTINCTION
Scripture Who It Applies To Excludes
Genesis 17:19-21 Isaac Ishmael and the Arabs
Genesis 27:29 Jacob Esau and the Edomites
Numbers 24:9 Israel All other nations
God blessed Ishmael. He made him fruitful. He promised him twelve princes and a great nation. But the covenant—the land, the everlasting inheritance, the promise that all nations would be blessed through his seed—was established with Isaac, not Ishmael.
This is the scriptural foundation for why the Holy Land of Israel was given to the Jewish people, the descendants of Isaac and Jacob, as an everlasting inheritance. It was not given to the Arabs, the Palestinians, or any other people. But God is the eternal owner. The Jews are the stewards until Jesus returns.
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THE FULL CHAIN OF THE COVENANT
Step Scripture What Happened
1 Matthew 1:1-17 Jesus Christ is born a Jew, from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David
2 Genesis 12:1-3 God calls Abraham and promises blessing
3 Genesis 15:5 God promises Abraham descendants like the stars
4 Genesis 17:7 God establishes an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his seed
5 Genesis 17:19-21 God narrows the covenant to Isaac, excluding Ishmael
6 Genesis 22:15-18 God confirms the covenant with an oath because Abraham obeyed
7 Genesis 26:2-5 God confirms the covenant to Isaac
8 Genesis 27:29 Isaac blesses Jacob, excluding Esau
9 Genesis 28:13-15 God confirms the covenant to Jacob
10 Genesis 48:3-4 Jacob passes the promise to his descendants
11 Exodus 3:7,10 God calls Israel “My people” in Egypt
12 Exodus 4:22 Israel is called God’s firstborn son
13 Exodus 6:7 God takes Israel as His people
14 Exodus 19:5 Israel is God’s peculiar treasure above all people
15 Deuteronomy 4:37 God chose Israel because He loved their fathers
16 Deuteronomy 7:6-8 God chooses Israel above all peoples
17 Deuteronomy 10:15 God’s choice is rooted in love for the fathers
18 Deuteronomy 32:9 Jacob is the lot of God’s inheritance
19 2 Samuel 7:23-24 God establishes Israel as His people forever
20 1 Kings 8:56 Not one word of God’s promise failed
21 2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people humble themselves, I will heal their land
22 Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh
23 Psalm 105:8-11 God remembers His covenant forever
24 Isaiah 43:10 Israel is God’s chosen witness
25 Jeremiah 33:25-26 God will not cast away the seed of Jacob
26 Zechariah 13:9 One-third of Israel will be refined and saved
27 Romans 11:1-2 God has not rejected His people
28 Revelation 19:16 Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
29 Revelation 20:4-6 Jesus reigns for a thousand years
30 Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 4:1-2 The Temple is established on Mount Zion in the last days
31 Ezekiel 40-48 The Millennial Temple is described in detail
32 Luke 1:32-33 Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever
33 Zechariah 14:9 The Lord will be King over all the earth
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CONCLUSION
Everything goes back to Abraham and Sarah. God made the covenant with Abraham, but He chose Sarah’s son, Isaac, to carry the covenant forward. Ishmael was blessed, but he did not receive the covenant. The covenant passed through Isaac, then Jacob, then the twelve tribes of Israel.
And through this same line came Jesus Christ—Yeshua HaMashiach—the Jewish Messiah, the King of the Jews, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.
He was born a Jew. He lived as a Jew. He died as a Jew. He was resurrected as a Jew. And He is alive and Jewish now, and forevermore the same.
He will return to rule and reign from Jerusalem for a thousand years. He will rebuild the Temple on Mount Zion. He will rule over Jerusalem, over Israel, and over the entire world. And His kingdom will have no end.
The land was given to the Jews as an everlasting inheritance. But God is the eternal owner. The Jews are the stewards until Jesus returns. When He comes, He will take full possession as the rightful King.
Two-thirds of the Jews will perish during the Great Tribulation (Zechariah 13:8), but the remaining one-third will be saved and will recognize Him as their Messiah (Zechariah 13:9; Romans 11:26).
And this is why we, as Christians of faith in the Jewish Messiah, look forward to the day when He returns to establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem.
“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” — Zechariah 14:9 (KJV)
PART 12: THE PROMISED LAND — IS GOD’S LAND
The Scriptures repeatedly call the land of Israel “My land” and “His land.” This is the foundation of everything we have studied. God is the owner. The Jews are the stewards. The land was given to them as an inheritance, but God never gave up ownership.
Leviticus 25:23
“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and live as foreigners with me.”
Commentary: This is the key verse. God says the land is His. The people of Israel are strangers and foreigners living on His land. They are stewards, not owners. This is the same principle we have seen throughout this study.
2 Samuel 7:23
“What one nation in the earth is like your people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for your land, before your people, whom you redeem to you out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods?”
Commentary: God redeemed Israel for Himself—to be His people. The land is the place where He displays His greatness.
1 Kings 8:36
“then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.”
Commentary: Notice carefully: God calls it “your land” when speaking to Israel, but it is also His land. The land is given as an inheritance—held under God’s authority. This is the language of stewardship, not ownership.
2 Kings 17:26,27
“Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, ‘The nations which you have carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, don’t know the law of the god of the land: therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them, because they don’t know the law of the god of the land.’ Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, ‘Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.'”
Commentary: Even the Assyrians recognized that the land of Israel has a God—the God of the land. The land is not neutral. It belongs to Yahweh.
2 Chronicles 6:27
“then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.”
Commentary: Again, the land is God’s land, given to Israel as an inheritance. The inheritance is held under the Father’s authority.
2 Chronicles 7:20
“then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”
Commentary: God calls it “My land.” If Israel disobeys, God will pluck them up by the roots out of His land. This confirms that the land is His, not theirs. They are stewards who can be removed.
2 Chronicles 20:11
“behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.”
Commentary: The land is God’s possession, given to Israel to inherit. Again, the inheritance is held under God’s authority.
Psalm 10:16
“Yahweh is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land.”
Commentary: Yahweh is King. The land is His land. The nations that oppose Him will perish out of it.
Psalm 85:1
“Yahweh, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.”
Commentary: The psalmist calls it “Your land”—God’s land. The restoration of Jacob is tied to the restoration of God’s land.
Isaiah 14:2,25
“The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders.”
Commentary: The land is called “Yahweh’s land” and “My land.” God will break the Assyrian in His land.
Jeremiah 2:7
“I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat its fruit and its goodness; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.”
Commentary: God calls it “My land” and “My heritage.” Israel defiled it by their sins.
Jeremiah 16:18
“First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”
Commentary: The land is God’s land and God’s inheritance. Israel polluted it.
Ezekiel 36:5,20
“therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey. When they came to the nations, where they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, These are the people of Yahweh, and are gone forth out of his land.”
Commentary: God calls it “My land.” The nations that took it for themselves will be judged. Israel went out of God’s land, but He will bring them back.
Ezekiel 38:16,21
“and you shall come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land: it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes. I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains, says the Lord Yahweh: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.”
Commentary: God calls Israel “My people” and the land “My land.” He will be sanctified in the sight of the nations.
Hosea 9:3
“They won’t dwell in Yahweh’s land; but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.”
Commentary: The land is “Yahweh’s land.” When Israel disobeys, they are removed from it.
Joel 1:6
“For a nation has come up on my land, strong, and without number. His teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he has the fangs of a lioness.”
Commentary: God calls it “My land.” The invading nation has come up on God’s land.
Joel 2:18
“Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.”
Commentary: God is jealous for His land. He has pity on His people.
Joel 3:2
“I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land.”
Commentary: God will judge the nations for scattering His people and dividing His land.
Zechariah 2:12
“Yahweh will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”
Commentary: The land is called “the holy land.” Yahweh will inherit Judah as His portion.
Zechariah 9:16
“Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land.”
Commentary: God’s people are like jewels of a crown, lifted on high over His land.
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Summary
Scripture What It Says
Leviticus 25:23 The land is Mine; you are strangers and foreigners with Me
2 Samuel 7:23 God redeemed Israel for Himself
1 Kings 8:36 The land is given as an inheritance
2 Kings 17:26 The God of the land
2 Chronicles 7:20 My land which I have given them
Psalm 10:16 Yahweh is King; the nations perish out of His land
Isaiah 14:25 I will break the Assyrian in My land
Jeremiah 2:7 You defiled My land
Ezekiel 36:5 My land which they appointed to themselves
Ezekiel 38:16 I will bring you against My land
Hosea 9:3 They won’t dwell in Yahweh’s land
Joel 1:6 A nation has come up on My land
Joel 2:18 Yahweh was jealous for His land
Joel 3:2 They have divided My land
Zechariah 2:12 Yahweh will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land
Zechariah 9:16 Lifted on high over His land
Conclusion: The land of Israel is God’s land. He calls it “My land.” The Jews were given stewardship over it. They are strangers and foreigners living on God’s land. They are the stewards, not the owners. God is the eternal owner. And when Jesus Christ returns, He will take full possession as the rightful King.
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PART 13: THE PROMISED LAND — GOD GAVE THE LAND TO THE JEWS
The Scriptures are clear: God gave the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them. This was not a land grant based on merit. It was a gift based on God’s covenant oath. And it was given as an everlasting inheritance—a possession held under God’s ultimate ownership. The Jews are the stewards of the land, not the eternal owners. God remains the owner, and He will take full possession when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King.
Genesis 12:7
“Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will give this land to your seed.'”
Commentary: This is the first time God specifically promises the land to Abraham’s descendants. The land is a gift. Abraham does not purchase it. He does not conquer it. God gives it.
Genesis 13:14-17
“Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, ‘Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth; for I will give it to you.'”
Commentary: God tells Abraham to walk through the land. This is the act of taking possession as a steward. Abraham does not receive a title deed. He receives a promise. The land is given to him and his offspring forever—as an inheritance held under God’s authority.
Genesis 15:7,8,18-21
“He said to him, ‘I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.’ He said, ‘Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?’ In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'”
Commentary: God makes a covenant with Abraham concerning the land. The boundaries are specific: from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. This is the land grant. But notice: it is given to inherit—not to own absolutely. The inheritance is held under God’s covenant.
Genesis 17:8
“I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
Commentary: The land is called an everlasting possession. But as we have seen, the Hebrew word is achuzzah—a holding, an inheritance. It is held by the steward under the authority of the owner. And notice the condition: “I will be their God.” The land is tied to the relationship.
Genesis 24:7
“Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your seed.’ He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.”
Commentary: Abraham testifies that God swore to give the land to his seed. This is a covenant oath.
Genesis 26:3,4
“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
Commentary: God confirms the land promise to Isaac. And again, notice the word “sojourn.” Isaac is to live in the land as a stranger and a pilgrim—a steward, not an owner.
Genesis 28:4,13
“and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham. Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, ‘I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.'”
Commentary: God confirms the land promise to Jacob. The land is given to inherit—again, the language of stewardship.
Genesis 35:12
“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land.”
Commentary: God confirms the land promise to Jacob and his descendants. The land is passed down through the patriarchs.
Genesis 48:4
“and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.'”
Commentary: Jacob recounts God’s promise to him. The land is called an everlasting possession—an inheritance held under God’s authority.
Genesis 50:24
“Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.'”
Commentary: Joseph trusts in God’s oath. The land is the promised land, and God will bring His people there.
Exodus 6:4,8
“I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.”
Commentary: The land is called a heritage. It is given to Israel by covenant oath. God is Yahweh—the covenant-keeping God.
Exodus 12:25
“It shall happen when you have come to the land which Yahweh will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Obedience to God’s commands is the condition of blessing in the land.
Exodus 13:5,11
“It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it you.”
Commentary: God swore to the fathers to give them the land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—a good land.
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.”
Commentary: The land is God’s gift. Obedience is tied to dwelling in it.
Exodus 23:20,23,30,31
“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land. I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.”
Commentary: God will drive out the nations little by little. The land is inherited by Israel as God delivers it into their hands.
Exodus 32:13
“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.'”
Commentary: Moses pleads with God based on His own oath. The land is to be inherited forever—as an everlasting stewardship under God.
Exodus 33:1
“Yahweh spoke to Moses, ‘Depart, go up from here, you and the people that you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your seed.”‘”
Commentary: God sends Moses and the people to the land He swore to give to the patriarchs.
Leviticus 14:34
“When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in the land of your possession.”
Commentary: The land is given by God for a possession—a holding, a stewardship.
Leviticus 20:24
“But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples.”
Commentary: God separated Israel from the peoples. The land is given to them as an inheritance.
Leviticus 23:10
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God. The first fruits are offered back to Him in recognition that it is His land.
Leviticus 25:2,38
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to Yahweh. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.”
Commentary: The land belongs to God. It must observe a Sabbath to Him. The land is given, and God is to be their God.
Numbers 10:29
“Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, ‘We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, “I will give it to you: come with us, and we will do you good; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”‘”
Commentary: The land is the place God promised to give to Israel.
Numbers 11:12
“Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that you should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?'”
Commentary: Moses reminds God of His oath to the fathers concerning the land.
Numbers 13:2
“Send you men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a prince among them.”
Commentary: God calls it the land which I give to the children of Israel.
Numbers 14:8,16,23,40
“If Yahweh delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey. Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness. surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it: They rose up early in the morning, and got them up to the top of the mountain, saying, ‘Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised: for we have sinned.'”
Commentary: The land is promised by God. The people’s unbelief kept them from entering it.
Numbers 15:2
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you.'”
Commentary: God calls it the land which I give to you.
Numbers 20:12,24
“Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Moses and Aaron were not permitted to enter because of their disobedience.
Numbers 27:12
“Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.'”
Commentary: God calls it the land which I have given to Israel.
Numbers 32:7,9,11
“Why discourage you the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them? For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Yahweh had given them. Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me.”
Commentary: The land is given by Yahweh. The unbelieving generation did not enter.
Numbers 33:53
“and you shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for to you have I given the land to possess it.”
Commentary: God says: “To you have I given the land to possess it.” The land is a gift.
Numbers 34:13
“Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, ‘This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe.'”
Commentary: The land is inherited by lot, as God commands.
Numbers 36:2
“and they said, ‘Yahweh commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by Yahweh to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.'”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God.
Deuteronomy 1:8,20,25,35,39
“Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their seed after them. I said to you, ‘You are come to the hill country of the Amorites, which Yahweh our God gives to us.’ They took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, ‘It is a good land which Yahweh our God gives to us.’ Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I swore to give to your fathers, Moreover your little ones, whom you said should be a prey, and your children, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there, and to them will I give it, and they shall possess it.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers. It is a good land given to Israel.
Deuteronomy 2:12,29
“The Horites also lived in Seir before, but the children of Esau succeeded them; and they destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place; as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Yahweh gave to them. as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did to me; until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land which Yahweh our God gives us.”
Commentary: The land is God’s gift to Israel. Other nations also received their lands from God.
Deuteronomy 3:18,20
“I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘Yahweh your God has given you this land to possess it: you shall pass over armed before your brothers the children of Israel, all the men of valor. until Yahweh give rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also possess the land which Yahweh your God gives them beyond the Jordan: then you shall return every man to his possession, which I have given you.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God to possess.
Deuteronomy 4:1,21,38,40
“Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that you may live, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you. Furthermore Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance: to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at this day. You shall keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh your God gives you, forever.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God. Obedience is tied to dwelling in it.
Deuteronomy 5:16,31
“Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you; that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. But as for you, stand you here by me, and I will speak to you all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to possess.
Deuteronomy 6:10,18,23
“It shall be, when Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities, which you didn’t build, You shall do that which is right and good in the sight of Yahweh; that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers.
Deuteronomy 7:13
“and he will love you, and bless you, and multiply you; he will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers.
Deuteronomy 8:1,10
“You shall observe to do all the commandment which I command you this day, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers. You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless Yahweh your God for the good land which he has given you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Israel is to bless God for it.
Deuteronomy 9:6,23,28
“Know therefore, that Yahweh your God doesn’t give you this good land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people. When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and possess the land which I have given you;’ then you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God, and you didn’t believe him, nor listen to his voice. lest the land whence you brought us out say, ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land which he promised to them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.'”
Commentary: God does not give the land because of Israel’s righteousness. It is a gift of grace.
Deuteronomy 10:11
“Yahweh said to me, ‘Arise, take your journey before the people; and they shall go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give to them.'”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers.
Deuteronomy 11:9,17,21,31
“and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give to them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey. and the anger of Yahweh be kindled against you, and he shut up the sky, so that there shall be no rain, and the land shall not yield its fruit; and you perish quickly from off the good land which Yahweh gives you. that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth. For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell therein.”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers. Obedience is tied to dwelling in it.
Deuteronomy 12:1,9,10
These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth. for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Yahweh your God gives you. But when you go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God.
Deuteronomy 13:12
“If you shall hear tell concerning one of your cities, which Yahweh your God gives you to dwell there, saying.”
Commentary: The land is given by God.
Deuteronomy 15:4,7
“However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;) If there be with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God. Justice and mercy are required in the land.
Deuteronomy 16:5,18,20
“You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you; You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live, and inherit the land which Yahweh your God gives you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Justice is required to inherit it.
Deuteronomy 17:2,14
“If there be found in the midst of you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, man or woman, who does that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh your God, in transgressing his covenant, When you are come to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and shall possess it, and shall dwell therein, and shall say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God.
Deuteronomy 18:9
“When you are come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Israel is not to follow the abominations of the nations.
Deuteronomy 19:1,2,3,8,10,14
“When Yahweh your God shall cut off the nations, whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses; you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it. You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there. If Yahweh your God enlarge your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and give you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers; that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you. You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 20:16
“But of the cities of these peoples, that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 21:1,23
“If one be found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him; his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God; that you don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 24:4
“her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Yahweh: and you shall not cause the land to sin, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 25:15,19
“You shall have a perfect and just weight. You shall have a perfect and just measure, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. Therefore it shall be, when Yahweh your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky; you shall not forget.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 26:1,2,3,9,10,15
“It shall be, when you are come in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and possess it, and dwell therein, that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you; and you shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. You shall come to the priest who shall be in those days, and tell him, ‘I profess this day to Yahweh your God, that I am come to the land which Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us.’ and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Yahweh, have given me. You shall set it down before Yahweh your God, and worship before Yahweh your God. Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance. The first fruits are offered back to God in recognition that it is His land.
Deuteronomy 27:2,3
“It shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, that you shall set yourself up great stones, and plaster them with plaster: and you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you are passed over; that you may go in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God.
Deuteronomy 28:8,11,52
“Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to; and he will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. Yahweh will make you plenteous for good, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you. They shall besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fortified walls come down, in which you trusted, throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which Yahweh your God has given you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Blessing comes with obedience. Judgment comes with disobedience.
Deuteronomy 30:20
“to love Yahweh your God, to obey his voice, and to cleave to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers. Dwelling in it is tied to loving and obeying God.
Deuteronomy 34:4
“Yahweh said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your seed: I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”‘”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers. Moses sees it but does not enter.
Joshua 1:2,3,6,11,13,15
“Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel. I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses. Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare food; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.’ Remember the word which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, saying, ‘Yahweh your God gives you rest, and will give you this land. until Yahweh has given your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they have also possessed the land which Yahweh your God gives them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Israel is to possess it as an inheritance.
Joshua 2:9,14,24
“and she said to the men, ‘I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. The men said to her, ‘Our life for yours, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.’ They said to Joshua, ‘Truly Yahweh has delivered into our hands all the land. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.'”
Commentary: Rahab recognizes that Yahweh has given the land to Israel.
Joshua 5:6
“For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh. Yahweh swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which Yahweh swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers.
Joshua 9:24
“They answered Joshua, and said, ‘Because it was certainly told your servants, how that Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.'”
Commentary: The Gibeonites recognize that Yahweh commanded Moses to give Israel the land.
Joshua 18:3
“Joshua said to the children of Israel, ‘How long are you slack to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you?'”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Israel is to possess it.
Joshua 21:43
“So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and they possessed it, and lived therein.”
Commentary: God gave Israel all the land He swore to give their fathers. They possessed it and lived in it.
Joshua 23:13,15,16
“know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, and a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. It shall happen, that as all the good things are come on you of which Yahweh your God spoke to you, so will Yahweh bring on you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. When you disobey the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them; then will the anger of Yahweh be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Disobedience leads to being removed from it.
Joshua 24:13
“I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you dwell therein; of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant do you eat.”
Commentary: God gave Israel a land they did not work for. It is a gift of grace.
Judges 2:1
The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, ‘I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, “I will never break my covenant with you.”‘”
Commentary: The land is sworn to the fathers. God will never break His covenant.
Judges 6:9
“and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.”
Commentary: God gave Israel the land.
Judges 18:10
“When you go, you shall come to a people secure, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.”
Commentary: God has given the land into Israel’s hand.
1 Kings 8:34,36,40,48
“then hear you in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers. then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
1 Kings 9:7
“then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Disobedience leads to being cut off.
1 Kings 14:15
“For Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking Yahweh to anger.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Idolatry leads to being rooted out.
2 Kings 21:8
“neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. Obedience is tied to dwelling in it.
1 Chronicles 16:18
“saying, ‘I will you give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
2 Chronicles 6:25,27,31,38
“then hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers. then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. that they may fear you, to walk in your ways, so long as they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
2 Chronicles 7:20
“then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”
Commentary: The land is God’s land—”My land.” He gives it, and He can pluck them out of it.
2 Chronicles 20:7,11
“Did not you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham your friend forever? behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.”
Commentary: The land is God’s possession, given to Israel to inherit.
2 Chronicles 33:8
“neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses.”
Commentary: The land is appointed by God.
Nehemiah 9:8,15,23,35,36
“and found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his seed, and have performed your words; for you are righteous. and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commanded those who they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them. Their children also multiplied you as the stars of the sky, and brought them into the land concerning which you did say to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. For they have not served you in their kingdom, and in your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and fat land which you gave before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are servants in it.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers. It is given to Israel.
Psalm 44:3
“For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.”
Commentary: Israel did not get the land by their own power. God gave it to them.
Psalm 105:11,44
“saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;’ He gave them the lands of the nations. They took the labor of the peoples in possession.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Psalm 135:12
“and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as a heritage to Israel.
Psalm 136:21,22
“And gave their land as an inheritance; for his loving kindness endures forever; Even a heritage to Israel his servant; for his loving kindness endures forever.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance because of His loving kindness.
Jeremiah 3:18,19
“In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers. But I said, ‘How I will put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Jeremiah 7:7,14
“then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even forevermore. therefore will I do to the house which is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers.
Jeremiah 11:5
“that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.’ Then answered I, and said, ‘Amen, Yahweh.'”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers.
Jeremiah 16:15
“but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them.’ I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers. He will bring them back.
Jeremiah 17:4
“You, even of yourself, shall discontinue from your heritage that I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know: for you have kindled a fire in my anger which shall burn forever.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as a heritage.
Jeremiah 24:10
“I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, until they be consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers.
Jeremiah 25:5
“saying, ‘Return you now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forevermore.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers.
Jeremiah 30:3
“For, behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will turn again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says Yahweh; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers. He will cause them to return.
Jeremiah 32:22
“and gave them this land, which you did swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers.
Jeremiah 35:15
“I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Return you now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers.
Ezekiel 11:15,17
“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get you far from Yahweh; to us is this land given for a possession.’ Therefore say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God. He will gather Israel and give them the land.
Ezekiel 20:15,28,42
“Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their pleasant aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers.
Ezekiel 28:25
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.'”
Commentary: The land is given by God to Jacob.
Ezekiel 33:24
“Son of man, they who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.'”
Commentary: The land is given to Israel as an inheritance.
Ezekiel 36:28
“You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers.
Ezekiel 37:25
“They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to Jacob. They shall dwell in it forever.
Ezekiel 47:14
“You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers: and this land shall fall to you for inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers.
Amos 9:15
“I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them,’ says Yahweh your God.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. They will be planted and no more plucked up.
Acts 7:4,5
“Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living. He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when he still had no child.”
Commentary: God promised the land to Abraham and his seed. He gave no inheritance yet—only a promise.
Acts 13:19
“When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years.”
Commentary: God gave Israel the land as an inheritance.
Hebrews 11:8,9
“By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.”
Commentary: Abraham lived as an alien in the land of promise. He was a steward, not an owner. The land was an inheritance received by faith.
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Summary of Part 13
Scripture What It Says
Genesis 12:7 God will give the land to Abraham’s seed
Genesis 15:18 God made a covenant to give the land
Genesis 17:8 The land is an everlasting possession
Genesis 26:3 God confirms the land promise to Isaac
Genesis 28:13 God confirms the land promise to Jacob
Exodus 6:8 God will give the land for a heritage
Leviticus 25:23 The land is Mine; you are strangers with Me
Deuteronomy 7:13 The land is sworn to the fathers
Joshua 21:43 God gave Israel all the land He swore to give
2 Chronicles 7:20 The land is My land
Psalm 105:11 The land of Canaan is the lot of your inheritance
Psalm 136:21 God gave their land as an inheritance
Jeremiah 30:3 God will cause them to return to the land
Ezekiel 36:28 You shall dwell in the land I gave to your fathers
Ezekiel 37:25 They shall dwell in the land forever
Hebrews 11:9 Abraham lived as an alien in the land of promise
Conclusion: God gave the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them. It was given as an everlasting inheritance—a possession held under God’s ultimate ownership. The Jews are the stewards of the land. God is the eternal owner. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 14: THE PROMISED LAND — THE JEWS’ LAND
The Scriptures repeatedly call the land of Israel “your land” when speaking to the Jews. But this does not mean they own it absolutely. God calls it “My land” (Leviticus 25:23). The Jews are the stewards—the caretakers—of God’s land. He has given it to them to dwell in, to cultivate, and to enjoy. But the title deed remains with Him. And when Jesus Christ returns, He will take full possession as the rightful King.
Genesis 31:3
“Yahweh said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.'”
Commentary: God calls the land “the land of your fathers.” It is the inheritance of Abraham and Isaac, passed down to Jacob. But it is still God’s land, and He is the one who sends Jacob back to it.
Genesis 32:9
“Jacob said, ‘God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, “Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good.”‘”
Commentary: Jacob calls it “your country”—his country. But he addresses God as the one who commanded him to return. God is the one who gives the land and brings His people back to it.
Exodus 23:10,19,26,33
“For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase. The first of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk. No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Commentary: God calls it “your land” when speaking to Israel. But He also warns them not to let the other nations dwell in it, lest they lead Israel into sin. The land is given to Israel as a stewardship, and they are responsible for keeping it holy.
Exodus 34:24
“For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land when you go up to appear before Yahweh, your God, three times in the year.”
Commentary: God promises to protect “your land” while Israel goes up to worship Him. The land is theirs to dwell in under God’s protection.
Leviticus 14:34
“When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in the land of your possession.”
Commentary: The land is given by God for a possession—a holding, a stewardship.
Leviticus 19:9,33
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but with it comes responsibility. Israel must leave the corners of the field for the poor and treat the foreigner with justice.
Leviticus 23:22
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap into the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest: you shall leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.”
Commentary: Again, the land is “your land”—but with the command to care for the poor and the foreigner. Stewardship requires generosity.
Leviticus 25:7,9,45
“For your livestock also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all its increase be for food. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. Moreover of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy, and of their families who are with you, which they have conceived in your land; and they will be your property.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but it is still under God’s law. The trumpet is sounded throughout the land on the Day of Atonement, and the land is subject to God’s commands.
Leviticus 26:1,5,6,20,33
“You shall make for yourselves no idols, neither shall you raise up an engraved image or a pillar, neither shall you place any figured stone in your land, to bow down to it: for I am Yahweh your God. Your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time; and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid; and I will remove evil animals out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. and your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won’t yield its increase, neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit. I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but it is conditional. If Israel obeys, God gives peace and abundance in the land. If they disobey, the land becomes desolate and they are scattered. The land is a stewardship, not an unconditional possession.
Numbers 10:9
“When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but God is the one who saves Israel from their enemies in it.
Deuteronomy 11:14
“that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, and your new wine, and your oil.”
Commentary: God gives the rain for “your land” in its season. The land is theirs to cultivate, but God provides the rain.
Deuteronomy 12:19
“Take heed to yourself that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but with the responsibility to care for the Levites, who have no inheritance of their own.
Deuteronomy 15:7
“If there be with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother.”
Commentary: The land is given by God—”your land which Yahweh your God gives you.” And with that gift comes the responsibility to care for the poor.
Deuteronomy 19:2,3,10
“you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it. You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there. that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance. Cities of refuge are established so that justice is done in the land.
Deuteronomy 28:12,18,24,33,40,42,51,52
“Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, and you shall not borrow. The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock shall be cursed. Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust: from the sky shall it come down on you, until you are destroyed. The fruit of your ground, and all your labors, shall a nation which you don’t know eat up; and you shall be only oppressed and crushed always; You shall have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olive shall cast its fruit. All your trees and the fruit of your ground shall the locust possess. and shall eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed; that also shall not leave you grain, new wine, or oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish. They shall besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fortified walls come down, in which you trusted, throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which Yahweh your God has given you.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but if Israel disobeys, God will curse the fruit of the land and bring enemies against them. The land is given by God, and God can remove His blessing from it.
Deuteronomy 29:28
“and Yahweh rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as at this day.”
Commentary: God rooted them out of their land because of their disobedience. The land is His, and He can remove them from it.
Deuteronomy 30:9
“Yahweh your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, for good: for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers.”
Commentary: When Israel repents, God will again bless the fruit of the land. The land is tied to Israel’s relationship with God.
1 Kings 8:48
“if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers. Even in captivity, Israel is to pray toward it.
2 Chronicles 6:38
“if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers. Prayer toward the land is an act of faith in God’s promise.
2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Commentary: This is the key verse for America and for all nations. God calls Israel “My people.” And He promises to heal their land when they humble themselves and repent. The land is healed by God, not by human effort.
Isaiah 1:7
“Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.”
Commentary: The prophet laments that “your land” is desolate because of Israel’s sin. The land suffers when the people disobey.
Isaiah 14:1,2
“For Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob. The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in Yahweh’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.”
Commentary: God will set them in their own land. The land is called “Yahweh’s land”—not Israel’s land. Israel is brought back to it, but it remains God’s.
Isaiah 62:4
“You shall no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall your land any more be termed Desolate: but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for Yahweh delights in you, and your land shall be married.”
Commentary: The land is “your land”—but it is God who restores it and calls it by a new name. He delights in His people and in the land.
Jeremiah 5:19
“It shall happen, when you shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Like as you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'”
Commentary: If Israel serves foreign gods in their land, they will serve strangers in a land that is not theirs. The land is a conditional stewardship.
Jeremiah 16:15
“but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them.’ I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to the fathers. He will bring them back.
Jeremiah 23:8
“but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ They shall dwell in their own land.”
Commentary: God will bring them back, and they shall dwell in their own land.
Jeremiah 27:10
“for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and you should perish.”
Commentary: False prophets will try to remove Israel from their land. But God warns against them.
Jeremiah 31:17
“There is hope for your latter end, says Yahweh; and your children shall come again to their own border.”
Commentary: There is hope. The children of Israel shall come again to their own border.
Jeremiah 42:12
“I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to return to your own land.”
Commentary: God will cause them to return to their own land.
Jeremiah 51:5
“For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, of his God, of Yahweh of Armies; though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.”
Commentary: Israel is not forsaken by his God. Even when the land is full of guilt, God remains faithful.
Jeremiah 52:27
“The king of Babylon struck them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.”
Commentary: Judah was carried away captive out of his land because of disobedience.
Ezekiel 28:25
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.”
Commentary: The land is given by God to Jacob. He will gather Israel and bring them to it.
Ezekiel 34:13,27
“I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. The tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them.”
Commentary: God will bring them into their own land. They shall be secure in their land when God delivers them.
Ezekiel 36:17,24
“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.”
Commentary: Israel defiled their own land by their sins. But God will gather them and bring them back into their own land.
Ezekiel 37:14,21
“I will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land: and you shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it, says Yahweh. Say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.”
Commentary: God will put His Spirit in them and place them in their own land. He will bring them into their own land.
Ezekiel 39:26,28
“They shall bear their shame, and all their trespasses by which they have trespassed against me, when they shall dwell securely in their land, and none shall make them afraid; They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them to their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there.”
Commentary: They shall dwell securely in their land, and none shall make them afraid. God will gather them to their own land.
Hosea 10:1
“Israel is a luxuriant vine that puts forth his fruit. According to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. As their land has prospered, they have adorned their sacred stones.”
Commentary: When the land prospered, Israel turned to idols. Prosperity in the land became a snare.
Amos 9:15
“I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them,’ says Yahweh your God.”
Commentary: God will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up. This is the final restoration.
Micah 5:6
“They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.”
Commentary: The Messiah will deliver Israel from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches within our border.
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Summary of Part 14
Scripture What It Says
Genesis 31:3 Return to the land of your fathers
Exodus 23:10 Six years you shall sow your land
Exodus 34:24 No man shall desire your land
Leviticus 25:9 Sound the trumpet throughout all your land
Leviticus 26:6 I will give peace in the land
Deuteronomy 11:14 I will give the rain of your land
Deuteronomy 15:7 Your land which Yahweh your God gives you
Deuteronomy 28:12 The rain of your land in its season
Deuteronomy 29:28 Yahweh rooted them out of their land
2 Chronicles 7:14 I will heal their land
Isaiah 14:1 Set them in their own land
Isaiah 62:4 Your land shall be married
Jeremiah 16:15 I will bring them again into their land
Jeremiah 23:8 They shall dwell in their own land
Jeremiah 31:17 Your children shall come again to their own border
Ezekiel 28:25 They shall dwell in their own land
Ezekiel 34:13 I will bring them into their own land
Ezekiel 36:24 I will bring you into your own land
Ezekiel 37:14 I will place you in your own land
Ezekiel 39:28 I have gathered them to their own land
Amos 9:15 I will plant them on their land
Conclusion: The land is called “your land” when God speaks to Israel. But it is always God’s land (Leviticus 25:23). The Jews are the stewards of the land. They dwell in it, cultivate it, and enjoy its fruit. But God is the eternal owner. He gives the land, He blesses it, He can remove them from it, and He will restore them to it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 15: THE PROMISED LAND — THE LAND IS ISRAEL’S INHERITANCE
The Scriptures repeatedly call the land of Canaan “an inheritance” for Israel. This is the language of stewardship, not absolute ownership. In ancient Israel, an inheritance was something a son received from his father and held under his father’s authority. The father remained the patriarch. The son was the heir and the steward. In the same way, God is the Father. Israel is the son. The land is the inheritance, held under God’s ultimate authority. God is the eternal owner. The Jews are the stewards until Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King.
Exodus 6:8
“I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.”
Commentary: God calls the land a heritage. The Hebrew word is morashah—a possession received from a father. It is held under the father’s authority. God is the Father. Israel is the heir.
Leviticus 20:24
“But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples.”
Commentary: The land is inherited. God gives it. Israel possesses it as a stewardship.
Numbers 26:53
“To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.”
Commentary: The land is divided for an inheritance—not for absolute ownership, but for stewardship under God.
Numbers 32:18,19,32
“We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward. We will pass over armed before Yahweh into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance. It is possessed by the tribes according to God’s allotment.
Numbers 33:54
“You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.”
Commentary: The land is inherited by lot. God determines the boundaries.
Numbers 34:2,14,15,18,29
“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders).’ You shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance. These are they whom Yahweh commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance divided by God’s command.
Numbers 36:3,4,7,9
“If they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will it be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. When the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then will their inheritance be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers. So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall cleave everyone to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall cleave everyone to his own inheritance.”
Commentary: The inheritance must remain within the tribe. This shows that the land is held as a sacred trust—a stewardship under God.
Deuteronomy 1:38
“Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there: encourage you him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”
Commentary: Joshua will cause Israel to inherit the land. He is the instrument of God’s promise.
Deuteronomy 4:21,38
“Furthermore Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance: to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at this day.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God.
Deuteronomy 12:9
“for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Yahweh your God gives you.”
Commentary: The land is the rest and the inheritance—given by God.
Deuteronomy 15:4
“However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;)”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to possess. With it comes the responsibility to care for the poor.
Deuteronomy 19:10,14
“that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you. You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance. Landmarks must not be moved—the inheritance is sacred.
Deuteronomy 20:16
“But of the cities of these peoples, that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God.
Deuteronomy 21:23
“his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God; that you don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance that must not be defiled.
Deuteronomy 24:4
“her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Yahweh: and you shall not cause the land to sin, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance that must not be caused to sin.
Deuteronomy 25:19
“Therefore it shall be, when Yahweh your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky; you shall not forget.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to possess.
Deuteronomy 26:1
“It shall be, when you are come in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and possess it, and dwell therein.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God.
Deuteronomy 29:8
“and we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites.”
Commentary: The land is given as an inheritance to the tribes.
Joshua 1:6
“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”
Commentary: Joshua will cause Israel to inherit the land. God swore to the fathers.
Joshua 11:23
“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. The land had rest from war.”
Commentary: Joshua gave the land for an inheritance to Israel.
Joshua 13:6,7,8,14,23,28,29,32,33
“all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only allot you it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Only to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance; the offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him. The border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan, and the border of it. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages. Moses gave inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh: and it was for the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families. These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward. But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given to the tribes. The Levites received no land inheritance—Yahweh Himself is their inheritance.
Joshua 14:1,2,3,9
“These are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed to them, by the lot of their inheritance, as Yahweh commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe. For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan: but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land whereon your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have wholly followed Yahweh my God.'”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance distributed by lot. Caleb receives his inheritance because he wholly followed Yahweh.
Joshua 15:20
“This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.”
Commentary: The land is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah.
Joshua 16:4,5,8,9
“The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. The border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth Addar, to Beth Horon the upper; From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and the goings out of it were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families; together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.”
Commentary: The land is the inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Joshua 17:4,6
“They came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, ‘Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers:’ therefore according to the commandment of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance given by God’s command.
Joshua 18:2,4,7,20,28
“There remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet divided their inheritance. Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me. For the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance: and Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them. The Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families. and Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite (the same is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance. The Levites have no land inheritance—the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance.
Joshua 19:1,2,8,9,10,16,23,31,39,41,48,49,51
“The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah. They had for their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, and all the villages that were around these cities to Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families; and the border of their inheritance was to Sarid; This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages. The border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh, This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. So they made an end of distributing the land for inheritance by its borders; and the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them: These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land.”
Commentary: The land is the inheritance of each tribe, distributed by lot before Yahweh.
Joshua 21:3
“The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of Yahweh, these cities with their suburbs.”
Commentary: The Levites received cities out of the inheritance of the other tribes.
Joshua 23:4
“Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance allotted by God.
Joshua 24:28,30,32
“So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money: and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.”
Commentary: Every man went to his inheritance. The land is the inheritance of the tribes.
Judges 2:6,9
“Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land. They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.”
Commentary: Every man went to his inheritance to possess the land.
Judges 18:1
“In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.”
Commentary: The tribe of Dan sought an inheritance to dwell in.
Judges 20:6
“I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.”
Commentary: The land is called the inheritance of Israel.
Judges 21:17,23,24
“They said, ‘There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off: and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and lived in them. The children of Israel departed there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance for each tribe.
Ruth 4:5,6,10
“Then said Boaz, ‘What day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.’ The near kinsman said, ‘I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance: take my right of redemption on you; for I can’t redeem it.’ Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place: you are witnesses this day.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance that must be redeemed to preserve the family name.
1 Kings 8:36
“then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
1 Kings 21:3,4
“Naboth said to Ahab, ‘Yahweh forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.’ Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ He laid him down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”
Commentary: Naboth refuses to give up the inheritance of his fathers. The land is a sacred trust.
1 Chronicles 16:18
“saying, ‘I will you give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance.'”
Commentary: The land is the lot of your inheritance.
1 Chronicles 28:8
“Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Yahweh your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to leave to your children forever—held under God’s authority.
2 Chronicles 6:27
“then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.”
Commentary: The land is given by God as an inheritance.
Ezra 9:12
“now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to leave to your children forever.
Nehemiah 11:20
“The residue of Israel, of the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.”
Commentary: Every man was in his inheritance.
Psalm 47:4
“He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom he loved.”
Commentary: God chooses our inheritance for us. The land is chosen by God.
Psalm 78:55
He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.”
Commentary: God allotted the land for an inheritance to Israel.
Psalm 105:11
“saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;'”
Commentary: The land is the lot of your inheritance.
Psalm 135:12
“and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.”
Commentary: The land is a heritage to Israel, God’s people.
Psalm 136:21,22
“And gave their land as an inheritance; for his loving kindness endures forever; Even a heritage to Israel his servant; for his loving kindness endures forever.”
Commentary: The land is given as an inheritance because of God’s loving kindness.
Jeremiah 3:18,19
“In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers. But I said, ‘How I will put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.'”
Commentary: The land is given as an inheritance to the fathers.
Jeremiah 12:14,15
“Thus says Yahweh against all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. It shall happen, after that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.”
Commentary: The land is the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit. God will judge those who touch it.
Jeremiah 17:4
“You, even of yourself, shall discontinue from your heritage that I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know: for you have kindled a fire in my anger which shall burn forever.”
Commentary: The land is your heritage that I gave you. Disobedience leads to losing it.
Lamentations 5:2
“Our inheritance is turned to strangers, Our houses to aliens.”
Commentary: The inheritance was turned over to strangers because of sin.
Ezekiel 33:24
“Son of man, they who inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.'”
Commentary: The land is given us for inheritance.
Ezekiel 35:15
“As you did rejoice over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do to you: you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.”
Commentary: The land is the inheritance of the house of Israel. God will judge Edom for rejoicing over its desolation.
Ezekiel 36:12
“Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no more henceforth bereave them of children.”
Commentary: The land shall be their inheritance.
Ezekiel 47:13,14,22
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘This shall be the border, by which you shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. You shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers: and this land shall fall to you for inheritance. It shall happen, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the strangers who sojourn among you, who shall father children among you; and they shall be to you as the native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.'”
Commentary: The land is divided for inheritance among the tribes. Even strangers who sojourn among them shall have an inheritance.
Ezekiel 48:29
“This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord Yahweh.”
Commentary: The land is divided by lot for inheritance to the tribes of Israel.
Acts 7:5
“He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when he still had no child.”
Commentary: God promised the land as a possession to Abraham and his seed. But it was a promise, not yet fulfilled.
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Summary of Part 15
Scripture What It Says
Exodus 6:8 I will give it to you for a heritage
Leviticus 20:24 You shall inherit their land
Numbers 26:53 The land shall be divided for an inheritance
Numbers 33:54 You shall inherit the land by lot
Numbers 34:2 This is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 4:38 To give you their land for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 12:9 The rest and the inheritance which Yahweh gives you
Deuteronomy 15:4 The land which Yahweh gives you for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 19:14 Your inheritance which you shall inherit
Deuteronomy 20:16 The cities which Yahweh gives you for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 21:23 Your land which Yahweh gives you for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 24:4 The land which Yahweh gives you for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 25:19 The land which Yahweh gives you for an inheritance
Deuteronomy 26:1 The land which Yahweh gives you for an inheritance
Joshua 1:6 You shall cause this people to inherit the land
Joshua 11:23 Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel
Joshua 13:7 Divide this land for an inheritance
Joshua 13:14 The offerings of Yahweh are his inheritance
Joshua 14:1 The inheritances which the children of Israel took
Joshua 15:20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah
Joshua 16:4 The children of Joseph took their inheritance
Joshua 18:7 The priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance
Joshua 19:51 These are the inheritances which they distributed
Joshua 21:3 They gave to the Levites out of their inheritance
Joshua 23:4 I have allotted to you these nations for an inheritance
Joshua 24:28 Every man to his inheritance
Judges 2:6 Every man to his inheritance to possess the land
Judges 20:6 The country of the inheritance of Israel
Ruth 4:5 To raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance
1 Kings 8:36 Your land which you have given to your people for an inheritance
1 Kings 21:3 The inheritance of my fathers
1 Chronicles 16:18 The lot of your inheritance
1 Chronicles 28:8 Leave it for an inheritance to your children forever
2 Chronicles 6:27 Your land which you have given to your people for an inheritance
Ezra 9:12 Leave it for an inheritance to your children forever
Nehemiah 11:20 Everyone in his inheritance
Psalm 47:4 He chooses our inheritance for us
Psalm 78:55 Allotted them for an inheritance by line
Psalm 105:11 The lot of your inheritance
Psalm 135:12 A heritage to Israel, his people
Psalm 136:21 Gave their land as an inheritance
Jeremiah 3:18 The land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers
Jeremiah 12:14 The inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit
Jeremiah 17:4 Your heritage that I gave you
Lamentations 5:2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers
Ezekiel 33:24 The land is given us for inheritance
Ezekiel 35:15 The inheritance of the house of Israel
Ezekiel 36:12 You shall be their inheritance
Ezekiel 47:14 This land shall fall to you for inheritance
Ezekiel 48:29 The land which you shall divide by lot for inheritance
Acts 7:5 He promised to give it to him for a possession
Conclusion: The land of Israel is Israel’s inheritance. But an inheritance is not absolute ownership. It is a possession held under the father’s authority. God is the Father. Israel is the heir and steward. The land is the inheritance, held under God’s ultimate ownership. God is the eternal owner. The Jews are the stewards until Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King to take full possession.
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PART 16: THE PROMISED LAND — THE LAND IS ETERNAL
The Scriptures repeatedly call the land of Israel an everlasting possession and say that Israel will inherit it forever. But how do we reconcile this with the fact that God also says the land is His (Leviticus 25:23), and that He can remove Israel from it when they disobey? The answer is found in understanding the nature of the inheritance. The land is eternal because God’s covenant is eternal. The land is eternal because God’s promise is eternal. The land is eternal because God is eternal. But the Jews’ possession of it is a stewardship held under God’s authority. God is the eternal owner. The Jews are the stewards until Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King to take full possession.
Genesis 13:15
“for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.”
Commentary: God gives the land to Abraham and his offspring forever. This is the promise. The land is eternal because the promise is eternal.
Genesis 17:8
“I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
Commentary: The land is an everlasting possession. But notice the condition: “I will be their God.” The land is tied to the relationship. The possession is held under God’s authority.
Genesis 48:4
“and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.'”
Commentary: The land is an everlasting possession. The Hebrew word is achuzzah—a holding, an inheritance. It is held by the steward under the authority of the owner.
Exodus 32:13
“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.'”
Commentary: The land is to be inherited forever. Moses pleads with God based on His own oath.
Leviticus 25:34
“But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.”
Commentary: The land is a perpetual possession. The Hebrew word is achuzzah—a holding, an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 4:40
“You shall keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh your God gives you, forever.”
Commentary: The land is given by God forever. Dwelling in it is tied to obedience.
Joshua 14:9
“Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land whereon your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have wholly followed Yahweh my God.'”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to you and to your children forever. Caleb receives it because he wholly followed Yahweh.
Judges 2:1
“The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, ‘I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, “I will never break my covenant with you.”‘”
Commentary: God will never break His covenant. The land is eternal because the covenant is eternal.
1 Chronicles 16:15-18
“Remember his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac. He confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘I will you give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance.'”
Commentary: The covenant is everlasting. The land is the lot of your inheritance. It is eternal because the covenant is eternal.
1 Chronicles 28:8
“Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Yahweh your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to leave to your children forever.
2 Chronicles 20:7
“Did not you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham your friend forever?”
Commentary: The land is given to the seed of Abraham forever.
Ezra 9:12
“now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.”
Commentary: The land is an inheritance to leave to your children forever.
Psalm 105:8-11
“He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which he made with Abraham, his oath to Isaac, and confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute; to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.'”
Commentary: The covenant is everlasting. The land is the lot of your inheritance.
Psalm 125:1
“Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.”
Commentary: Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion—immovable and eternal.
Isaiah 60:21
“Your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”
Commentary: They shall inherit the land forever. They are the branch of God’s planting—the work of His hands.
Jeremiah 31:40
“The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy to Yahweh; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.”
Commentary: The land shall be holy to Yahweh. It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.
Ezekiel 37:25
“They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever.”
Commentary: They shall dwell in the land forever. And David my servant shall be their prince for ever. This is the Messiah—Jesus Christ—who will reign as King.
Joel 3:20
“But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.”
Commentary: Judah will be inhabited forever. Jerusalem from generation to generation.
Amos 9:15
“I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them,’ says Yahweh your God.”
Commentary: God will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up.
Micah 4:7
“and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.”
Commentary: Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. This is the Millennial Kingdom—Jesus Christ ruling from Jerusalem.
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Summary of Part 16
Scripture What It Says
Genesis 13:15 I will give it to you and to your offspring forever
Genesis 17:8 The land is an everlasting possession
Genesis 48:4 The land is an everlasting possession
Exodus 32:13 They shall inherit it forever
Leviticus 25:34 It is their perpetual possession
Deuteronomy 4:40 The land which Yahweh gives you forever
Joshua 14:9 An inheritance to you and to your children forever
Judges 2:1 I will never break my covenant with you
1 Chronicles 16:15-18 An everlasting covenant
1 Chronicles 28:8 Leave it for an inheritance to your children forever
2 Chronicles 20:7 Give it to the seed of Abraham forever
Ezra 9:12 Leave it for an inheritance to your children forever
Psalm 105:8-11 An everlasting covenant
Psalm 125:1 Mount Zion remains forever
Isaiah 60:21 They shall inherit the land forever
Jeremiah 31:40 It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever
Ezekiel 37:25 They shall dwell therein forever
Joel 3:20 Judah will be inhabited forever
Amos 9:15 They will no more be plucked up
Micah 4:7 Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion even forever
Conclusion: The land of Israel is eternal. The covenant is everlasting. The promise is forever. But the Jews’ possession of the land is a stewardship held under God’s authority. God is the eternal owner. The Jews are the stewards until Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King to take full possession. And when He returns, He will reign from Mount Zion forever. The land is eternal because God is eternal.
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PART 17: THE PROMISED LAND — THE LAND IS SPECIAL TO GOD
The land of Israel is not like any other land. God calls it “a land which Yahweh your God cares for.” His eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of it. It is not just real estate. It is the place where God has chosen to dwell, to reveal Himself, and to fulfill His covenant promises. The land is special to God because it is His land—and He has chosen to connect His name, His people, and His purpose to it.
Deuteronomy 11:12
“a land which Yahweh your God cares for: the eyes of Yahweh your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year.”
Commentary: God cares for the land of Israel. His eyes are always on it. This is not because the land itself is inherently holy, but because God has chosen to set His affection and attention upon it. The land is special to God because He has made it the stage for His redemptive plan.
Ezekiel 20:6
“in that day I swore to them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.”
Commentary: God calls Israel “the glory of all lands.” He searched out the land for His people. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—a good land, a beautiful land. It is special to God because He chose it, prepared it, and gave it to His people.
Joel 2:18
“Then Yahweh was jealous for his land, And had pity on his people.”
Commentary: God is jealous for His land. He calls it “His land.” He is not indifferent to what happens to it. He watches over it. He defends it. And He has pity on His people.
Malachi 3:12
“‘All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
Commentary: God calls Israel “a delightful land.” The nations will call Israel blessed. The land is special to God because He has chosen to bless it and make it a testimony to the world.
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Summary of Part 17
Scripture What It Says
Deuteronomy 11:12 The eyes of Yahweh your God are always on it
Ezekiel 20:6 The glory of all lands
Joel 2:18 Yahweh was jealous for His land
Malachi 3:12 You will be a delightful land
Conclusion: The land of Israel is special to God. His eyes are always on it. He calls it “the glory of all lands.” He is jealous for His land. And He calls it “a delightful land.” The land is special because God has chosen to connect His name, His people, and His purpose to it. But it is still His land. The Jews are the stewards. God is the eternal owner. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 18: THE PROMISED LAND — ISRAEL GIVEN “CANAAN”
God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them. The land is called by name—Canaan—throughout the Scriptures. This is the specific land, the specific inheritance, the specific possession that God swore to give to His people. The Jews are the stewards of this land. God is the eternal owner.
Genesis 12:1,5,7
“Now Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came. Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, ‘I will give this land to your seed.'”
Commentary: God calls Abram to go to the land of Canaan. Abram obeys and enters the land. God then promises: “I will give this land to your seed.” The land is a gift.
Genesis 13:12,14,15
“Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, ‘Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.'”
Commentary: Abram lived in the land of Canaan. God tells him to look in every direction—all the land he sees will be given to him and his offspring forever. The land is eternal because the promise is eternal.
Genesis 17:8
“I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
Commentary: The land of Canaan is given as an everlasting possession. The Hebrew word is achuzzah—a holding, an inheritance. It is held by the steward under the authority of the owner.
Genesis 48:3,4
“Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said to me, “Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.”‘”
Commentary: Jacob recounts God’s promise. The land of Canaan is given as an everlasting possession.
Exodus 6:4
“I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens.”
Commentary: God established His covenant to give them the land of Canaan. The land is the place where they lived as aliens—strangers and sojourners. This is the language of stewardship.
Exodus 13:5,11
“It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it you.”
Commentary: God swore to the fathers to give them the land of Canaan. It is a land flowing with milk and honey.
Exodus 16:35
“The children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.”
Commentary: Israel ate manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. The land is the destination of their journey.
Leviticus 14:34
“When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in the land of your possession.”
Commentary: The land of Canaan is given by God for a possession—a holding, a stewardship.
Leviticus 18:3
“You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes.”
Commentary: God warns Israel not to follow the sinful practices of the land of Canaan. The land is given to them, but they must remain holy.
Leviticus 25:38
“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.”
Commentary: God brought Israel out of Egypt to give them the land of Canaan, and to be their God. The land is tied to the relationship.
Numbers 13:2
“Send you men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a prince among them.”
Commentary: God calls it the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel.
Numbers 33:51,53
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, and you shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for to you have I given the land to possess it.'”
Commentary: God says: “To you have I given the land to possess it.” The land of Canaan is a gift.
Numbers 34:2,29
“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders).’ These are they whom Yahweh commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.”
Commentary: The land of Canaan is an inheritance—given by God, divided by lot.
Numbers 35:10,14
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.'”
Commentary: Cities of refuge are established in the land of Canaan. Justice is to be done in the land.
Deuteronomy 32:49
“Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession.”
Commentary: God shows Moses the land of Canaan, which He gives to the children of Israel for a possession.
Joshua 14:1
“These are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed to them.”
Commentary: The children of Israel took their inheritances in the land of Canaan. The land is divided among the tribes.
Joshua 24:3
“I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.”
Commentary: God led Abraham throughout all the land of Canaan. The land is the stage for God’s covenant purposes.
1 Chronicles 16:18
“saying, ‘I will you give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance.'”
Commentary: The land of Canaan is the lot of your inheritance.
Psalm 105:11
“saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;'”
Commentary: The land of Canaan is the lot of your inheritance.
Psalm 135:11,12
“Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.”
Commentary: God gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.
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Summary of Part 18
Scripture What It Says
Genesis 12:7 I will give this land to your seed
Genesis 13:15 All the land which you see, I will give to you and to your offspring forever
Genesis 17:8 All the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession
Genesis 48:4 This land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession
Exodus 6:4 To give them the land of Canaan
Exodus 13:5,11 Which he swore to your fathers to give you
Exodus 16:35 They came to the borders of the land of Canaan
Leviticus 14:34 The land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession
Leviticus 18:3 The land of Canaan, where I am bringing you
Leviticus 25:38 To give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God
Numbers 13:2 The land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel
Numbers 33:53 To you have I given the land to possess it
Numbers 34:2 This is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance
Numbers 35:14 Three cities in the land of Canaan
Deuteronomy 32:49 See the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel
Joshua 14:1 The inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan
Joshua 24:3 Led him throughout all the land of Canaan
1 Chronicles 16:18 The land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance
Psalm 105:11 The land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance
Psalm 135:12 Gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people
Conclusion: God gave the land of Canaan to Israel. It is called by name throughout the Scriptures. It is the specific land, the specific inheritance, the specific possession that God swore to give to His people. The Jews are the stewards of this land. God is the eternal owner. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 19: JERUSALEM — GOD CHOSE JERUSALEM
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Jerusalem is not just any city. It is the city God chose. God did not choose it because it was the largest or the most powerful. He chose it because He desired it for His habitation. He chose it to put His name there. And He will choose it again. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Deuteronomy 12:5,11,14,18,21,26
“But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation you shall seek, and there you shall come; then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh. but in the place which Yahweh shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates: and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God in all that you put your hand to. If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put his name there, is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul. Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take, and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose:”
Commentary: God told Israel to seek the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to put His name there. That place is Jerusalem. The land is God’s, and He chose the city where His name would dwell.
Deuteronomy 14:23-25
“You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always. If the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set his name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you; then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose:”
Commentary: The tithes and offerings were to be brought to the place which He shall choose, to cause His name to dwell there. That place is Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 15:20
“You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household.”
Commentary: They were to eat before Yahweh in the place which Yahweh shall choose—Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 16:2,6,7,11,15,16
“You shall sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. but at the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came forth out of Egypt. You shall roast and eat it in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: and you shall turn in the morning, and go to your tents. and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the foreigner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are in the midst of you, in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. You shall keep a feast to Yahweh your God seven days in the place which Yahweh shall choose; because Yahweh your God will bless you in all your increase, and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful. Three times in a year shall all your males appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tents; and they shall not appear before Yahweh empty:”
Commentary: The Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles were all to be celebrated in the place which Yahweh shall choose—Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 17:8,10
“If there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates; then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose; You shall do according to the tenor of the sentence which they shall show you from that place which Yahweh shall choose; and you shall observe to do according to all that they shall teach you:”
Commentary: Difficult legal matters were to be brought to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose—Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 18:6
“If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives as a foreigner, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Yahweh shall choose;”
Commentary: The Levite was to come to the place which Yahweh shall choose—Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 23:16
“he shall dwell with you, in the midst of you, in the place which he shall choose within one of your gates, where it pleases him best: you shall not oppress him.”
Commentary: The foreigner was to dwell in the place which he shall choose within one of your gates.
Deuteronomy 26:2
“that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you; and you shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.”
Commentary: The first fruits were to be brought to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there—Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 31:11
“when all Israel is come to appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.”
Commentary: The law was to be read in the place which he shall choose—Jerusalem.
1 Kings 8:44,48
“If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name; if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name:”
Commentary: Solomon prayed that the people would pray toward the city which you have chosen—Jerusalem.
1 Kings 11:13,32,36
“However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen. (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel); To his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.”
Commentary: God says: “Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen” and “the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.”
1 Kings 14:21
“Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.”
Commentary: Rehoboam reigned in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there.
2 Kings 21:7
“He set the engraved image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Yahweh said to David and to Solomon his son, ‘In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever;'”
Commentary: God said: “In Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.”
2 Kings 23:27
“Yahweh said, ‘I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, “My name shall be there.”‘”
Commentary: God says: “I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem.” This is a warning of judgment. The land and the city belong to God, and He can remove His people from it.
2 Chronicles 6:6,34,38
“but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name; if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name:”
Commentary: God says: “I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there.”
2 Chronicles 12:13
“So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.”
Commentary: Rehoboam reigned in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there.
2 Chronicles 33:7
“He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, ‘In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever:'”
Commentary: God said: “In Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.”
Nehemiah 1:9
“but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.”
Commentary: God will gather His outcasts and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there—Jerusalem.
Psalm 132:13
“For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.”
Commentary: Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for His habitation.
Zechariah 1:17
“‘Proclaim further, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.'”‘”
Commentary: God will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.
Zechariah 2:12
“Yahweh will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”
Commentary: Yahweh will again choose Jerusalem.
Zechariah 3:2
“Yahweh said to Satan, ‘Yahweh rebuke you, Satan! Yes, Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?'”
Commentary: Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes Satan. Jerusalem is a burning stick plucked out of the fire.
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Summary of Part 19
Scripture What It Says
Deuteronomy 12:5 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 12:11 To cause his name to dwell there
Deuteronomy 12:14 The place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 12:18 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 12:21 To put his name there
Deuteronomy 12:26 The place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 14:23 The place which he shall choose
Deuteronomy 14:24 The place is too far from you
Deuteronomy 14:25 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 15:20 The place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 16:2 The place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 16:6 To cause his name to dwell in
Deuteronomy 16:7 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 16:11 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 16:15 The place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 16:16 The place which he shall choose
Deuteronomy 17:8 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 17:10 That place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 18:6 The place which Yahweh shall choose
Deuteronomy 23:16 The place which he shall choose
Deuteronomy 26:2 The place which Yahweh your God shall choose
Deuteronomy 31:11 The place which he shall choose
1 Kings 8:44 The city which you have chosen
1 Kings 8:48 The city which you have chosen
1 Kings 11:13 For Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen
1 Kings 11:32 The city which I have chosen
1 Kings 11:36 The city which I have chosen me to put my name there
1 Kings 14:21 The city which Yahweh had chosen
2 Kings 21:7 Jerusalem, which I have chosen
2 Kings 23:27 This city which I have chosen
2 Chronicles 6:6 I have chosen Jerusalem
2 Chronicles 6:34 This city which you have chosen
2 Chronicles 6:38 The city which you have chosen
2 Chronicles 12:13 The city which Yahweh had chosen
2 Chronicles 33:7 Jerusalem, which I have chosen
Nehemiah 1:9 The place that I have chosen
Psalm 132:13 Yahweh has chosen Zion
Zechariah 1:17 Will again choose Jerusalem
Zechariah 2:12 Will again choose Jerusalem
Zechariah 3:2 Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just any city. It is the city God chose. God did not choose it because it was the largest or the most powerful. He chose it because He desired it for His habitation. He chose it to put His name there. And He will choose it again. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 20: JERUSALEM — GOD PUT HIS NAME IN JERUSALEM
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God did not just choose Jerusalem. He put His name there. This is not a casual statement. In the ancient world, a name represented the character and authority of the one who bore it. When God put His name in Jerusalem, He was placing His character, His authority, and His presence in that city. It is where His eyes and His heart would be perpetually. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is the city where He placed His name. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Deuteronomy 12:5,11,21
“But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation you shall seek, and there you shall come; then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh. If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put his name there, is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul.”
Commentary: God told Israel to seek the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put His name there. That place is Jerusalem. The land is God’s, and He chose the city where His name would dwell.
Deuteronomy 16:2,11
“You shall sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there. and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the foreigner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are in the midst of you, in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.”
Commentary: The Passover was to be sacrificed in the place which Yahweh shall choose, to cause His name to dwell there—Jerusalem.
1 Kings 8:29
“that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there;’ that you may listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.”
Commentary: God said: “My name shall be there.” Jerusalem is the place where God placed His name.
1 Kings 9:3
“Yahweh said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me: I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.'”
Commentary: God said: “I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.” This is a powerful statement. God’s eyes and heart are in Jerusalem.
1 Kings 14:21
“Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.”
Commentary: Rehoboam reigned in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there.
2 Chronicles 6:6
“but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.”
Commentary: God says: “I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there.”
2 Chronicles 7:16
“For now have I chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.”
Commentary: God says: “My name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.”
2 Chronicles 33:7
“He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, ‘In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever:'”
Commentary: God said: “In Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.”
Ezra 6:12
“and the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who shall put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”
Commentary: The God who has caused His name to dwell there will overthrow all kings and peoples who try to destroy the house of God in Jerusalem. This is a warning to the nations.
Isaiah 18:7
“In that time, a present will be brought to Yahweh of Armies from a people tall and smooth, even from a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion.”
Commentary: A present will be brought to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion—Jerusalem.
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Summary of Part 20
Scripture What It Says
Deuteronomy 12:5 To put his name there
Deuteronomy 12:11 To cause his name to dwell there
Deuteronomy 12:21 To put his name there
Deuteronomy 16:2 To cause his name to dwell there
Deuteronomy 16:11 To cause his name to dwell there
1 Kings 8:29 My name shall be there
1 Kings 9:3 To put my name there forever
1 Kings 14:21 To put his name there
2 Chronicles 6:6 That my name might be there
2 Chronicles 7:16 That my name may be there forever
2 Chronicles 33:7 Will I put my name forever
Ezra 6:12 The God who has caused his name to dwell there
Isaiah 18:7 The place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion
Conclusion: God did not just choose Jerusalem. He put His name there. This is not a casual statement. When God put His name in Jerusalem, He was placing His character, His authority, and His presence in that city. It is where His eyes and His heart would be perpetually. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is the city where He placed His name. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 21: JERUSALEM — JERUSALEM IS GOD’S
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Jerusalem is not just the city of the Jews. It is God’s city. God calls it “My holy hill of Zion.” He calls it “My holy mountain Jerusalem.” And Daniel calls it “Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain” when speaking to God. This is not a city that belongs to any nation or any people. It belongs to God. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Psalm 2:6
“Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion.”
Commentary: God says: “I have set My king on My holy hill of Zion.” Jerusalem is God’s holy hill. It is where He has set His King—the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 66:20
“They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.”
Commentary: God calls Jerusalem “My holy mountain Jerusalem.” The nations will bring the children of Israel back to God’s holy mountain.
Daniel 9:16,19
“Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are become a reproach to all who are around us. Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, listen and do; don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
Commentary: Daniel calls Jerusalem “Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain.” He calls the people of Israel “Your people.” He pleads with God: “Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
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Summary of Part 21
Scripture What It Says
Psalm 2:6 My holy hill of Zion
Isaiah 66:20 My holy mountain Jerusalem
Daniel 9:16 Your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain
Daniel 9:19 Your city and your people are called by your name
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just the city of the Jews. It is God’s city. God calls it “My holy hill of Zion.” He calls it “My holy mountain Jerusalem.” And Daniel calls it “Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain.” This is not a city that belongs to any nation or any people. It belongs to God. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 22: JERUSALEM — JERUSALEM IS ETERNAL
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Jerusalem is not a temporary city. It is eternal. God says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.” He says: “This city shall remain forever.” He says: “It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.” And He says of His throne: “I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.” The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s eternal city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world—forever.
Psalm 48:8
“As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of Yahweh of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever.”
Commentary: Jerusalem is the city of Yahweh of Armies, the city of our God. God will establish it forever.
Psalm 125:1
“Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.”
Commentary: Mount Zion cannot be moved. It remains forever. Those who trust in Yahweh are like it.
Psalm 132:13-14
“For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation. ‘This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.'”
Commentary: God says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.” Jerusalem is where God will dwell forever.
Jeremiah 17:25
“then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever.”
Commentary: God says: “This city shall remain forever.” Jerusalem is eternal.
Jeremiah 31:40
“The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy to Yahweh; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.”
Commentary: God says: “It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.” Jerusalem will be holy to Yahweh forever.
Ezekiel 43:7
“He said to me, ‘Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.'”
Commentary: God says: “This is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.” Jerusalem is where God’s throne will be.
Joel 3:20
“But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.”
Commentary: Judah will be inhabited forever. Jerusalem from generation to generation.
Micah 4:7
“and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.”
Commentary: Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. This is the Millennial Kingdom—Jesus Christ ruling from Jerusalem forever.
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Summary of Part 22
Scripture What It Says
Psalm 48:8 God will establish it forever
Psalm 125:1 Mount Zion remains forever
Psalm 132:13-14 This is my resting place forever
Jeremiah 17:25 This city shall remain forever
Jeremiah 31:40 It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever
Ezekiel 43:7 I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever
Joel 3:20 Judah will be inhabited forever
Micah 4:7 Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion even forever
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not a temporary city. It is eternal. God says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.” He says: “This city shall remain forever.” He says: “It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.” And He says of His throne: “I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.” The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s eternal city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world—forever.
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PART 23: JERUSALEM — GOD DWELLS IN JERUSALEM
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Jerusalem is not just a city where God’s name is. It is the city where God Himself dwells. He says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.” He says: “I will dwell in the midst of you.” He says: “Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save.” This is not a distant God. This is a God who chooses to live among His people. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s dwelling place. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Exodus 15:17
“You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in; the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.”
Commentary: God has made a place for Himself to dwell in—the mountain of His inheritance. That place is Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:15
“and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,”
Commentary: God’s habitation is in Jerusalem.
Psalm 9:11
“Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done.”
Commentary: Yahweh dwells in Zion.
Psalm 46:4-5
“There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High. God is in her midst. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn.”
Commentary: God is in her midst. The city of God shall not be moved.
Psalm 68:16
“Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.”
Commentary: Yahweh will dwell there forever. The mountain where God chooses to reign is Zion.
Psalm 74:2
“Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.”
Commentary: God has lived in Mount Zion.
Psalm 76:2
“His tabernacle is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion.”
Commentary: God’s tabernacle is in Salem (Jerusalem). His dwelling place is in Zion.
Psalm 132:13-14
“For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation. ‘This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.'”
Commentary: God says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.”
Psalm 135:21
“Blessed be Yahweh from Zion, Who dwells at Jerusalem.”
Commentary: Yahweh dwells at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 8:18
“Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.”
Commentary: Yahweh of Armies dwells in Mount Zion.
Isaiah 12:6
“Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion; for the Holy One of Israel is great in the midst of you!”
Commentary: The Holy One of Israel is great in the midst of you.
Isaiah 24:23
“Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders will be glory.”
Commentary: Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 31:6
“For there shall be a day, that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall cry, ‘Arise you, and let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.'”
Commentary: The watchmen will cry: “Arise, and let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.”
Micah 4:7
“and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.”
Commentary: Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.
Joel 3:16-17,21
“Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. ‘So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Yahweh dwells in Zion.'”
Commentary: Yahweh dwells in Zion, My holy mountain. He is a refuge to His people and a stronghold to the children of Israel.
Zephaniah 3:5,15,17
“Yahweh, in the midst of her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn’t fail, but the unjust know no shame. Yahweh has taken away your judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, Yahweh, is in the midst of you. You will not be afraid of evil any more. Yahweh, your God, is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will rest in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Commentary: Yahweh is in the midst of her. The King of Israel is in the midst of you. He is a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zechariah 2:5,10-11
“For I,’ says Yahweh, ‘will be to her a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory in the midst of her. Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for, behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you,’ says Yahweh. Many nations shall join themselves to Yahweh in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you.”
Commentary: God says: “I will be to her a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.” He says: “I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you.” And many nations shall join themselves to Yahweh in that day.
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Summary of Part 23
Scripture What It Says
Exodus 15:17 The place which you have made for yourself to dwell in
Ezra 7:15 Whose habitation is in Jerusalem
Psalm 9:11 Yahweh dwells in Zion
Psalm 46:4-5 God is in her midst
Psalm 68:16 Yahweh will dwell there forever
Psalm 74:2 Mount Zion, in which you have lived
Psalm 76:2 His dwelling place in Zion
Psalm 132:13-14 This is my resting place forever
Psalm 135:21 Who dwells at Jerusalem
Isaiah 8:18 Who dwells in Mount Zion
Isaiah 12:6 The Holy One of Israel is great in the midst of you
Isaiah 24:23 Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion
Jeremiah 31:6 Let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God
Micah 4:7 Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion even forever
Joel 3:16 Yahweh will roar from Zion
Joel 3:17 Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain
Joel 3:21 Yahweh dwells in Zion
Zephaniah 3:5 Yahweh, in the midst of her, is righteous
Zephaniah 3:15 The King of Israel, Yahweh, is in the midst of you
Zephaniah 3:17 Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save
Zechariah 2:5 I will be the glory in the midst of her
Zechariah 2:10 I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you
Zechariah 2:11 I will dwell in the midst of you
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just a city where God’s name is. It is the city where God Himself dwells. He says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.” He says: “I will dwell in the midst of you.” He says: “Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save.” This is not a distant God. This is a God who chooses to live among His people. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s dwelling place. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 24: JERUSALEM — JERUSALEM LOVED BY GOD AND GOD’S PEOPLE
To view the original page on the biblicalzionist.com website, click here:
Jerusalem is not just a city God chose. It is a city God loves. He calls it “the joy of the whole earth” and “the city of the great King.” He says: “Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” He says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.” And He says: “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s beloved city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Psalm 48:1-3
“Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King. God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.”
Commentary: Jerusalem is the city of our God. It is beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth. It is the city of the great King. God has shown Himself in her citadels as a refuge.
Psalm 50:2
“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.”
Commentary: Zion is the perfection of beauty. God shines forth from it.
Psalm 78:68
“But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.”
Commentary: God loved Mount Zion.
Psalm 87:1-3,5-7
“His foundation is in the holy mountains. Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Yes, of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one was born in her;’ the Most High himself will establish her. Yahweh will count, when he writes up the peoples, ‘This one was born there.’ Those who sing as well as those who dance say, ‘All my springs are in you.'”
Commentary: Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. The Most High Himself will establish her.
Psalm 102:13-16
“You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come. For your servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity on her dust. So the nations will fear the name of Yahweh; all the kings of the earth your glory. For Yahweh has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory.”
Commentary: The set time has come for God to have mercy on Zion. His servants take pleasure in her stones and have pity on her dust. God has built up Zion. He has appeared in His glory.
Psalm 122:2-3,6
“Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem; Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together; Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.”
Commentary: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.
Psalm 128:5
“May Yahweh bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.”
Commentary: God blesses out of Zion. May you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Psalm 129:5
“Let them be disappointed and turned backward, all those who hate Zion.”
Commentary: All those who hate Zion will be disappointed and turned backward.
Psalm 132:13-14
“For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation. ‘This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.'”
Commentary: God says: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.”
Psalm 137:5-6
“If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you; if I don’t prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.”
Commentary: The psalmist says: “If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.” He prefers Jerusalem above his chief joy.
Isaiah 49:14-16
“But Zion said, ‘Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ ‘Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.'”
Commentary: God says: “I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” This is the depth of God’s love for Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 16:3-14
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: God describes His love for Jerusalem as the love of a husband for his wife. He found her weltering in her blood and said: “Live!” He spread His skirt over her and covered her nakedness. He swore to her and entered into a covenant with her. He washed her, anointed her with oil, clothed her with embroidered work, and decked her with ornaments. He put a beautiful crown on her head. She became exceedingly beautiful and prospered to royal estate. Her renown went forth among the nations for her beauty. This is a picture of God’s covenant love for Jerusalem.
Zechariah 1:14
“So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Proclaim, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.'”‘”
Commentary: God says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.”
Zechariah 8:2
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.'”
Commentary: God is jealous for Zion with great jealousy and great wrath. He will defend His city.
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Summary of Part 24
Scripture What It Says
Psalm 48:1-3 The joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King
Psalm 50:2 The perfection of beauty
Psalm 78:68 Mount Zion which he loved
Psalm 87:1-3 Yahweh loves the gates of Zion
Psalm 87:5-7 Glorious things are spoken about you
Psalm 102:13-16 The set time has come
Psalm 122:2-3 Our feet are standing within your gates
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
Psalm 128:5 May you see the good of Jerusalem
Psalm 129:5 All those who hate Zion
Psalm 132:13-14 This is my resting place forever
Psalm 137:5-6 If I forget you, Jerusalem
Isaiah 49:14-16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands
Ezekiel 16:3-14 I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you
Zechariah 1:14 I am jealous for Jerusalem
Zechariah 8:2 I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just a city God chose. It is a city God loves. He calls it “the joy of the whole earth” and “the city of the great King.” He says: “Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” He says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.” And He says: “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s beloved city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 25: JERUSALEM — GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN
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Jerusalem is not just a city. It is God’s holy mountain. God calls it “My holy mountain” over and over again. It is where He dwells. It is where He will be worshiped. It is where the nations will come. And it is where His truth will go forth. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s holy mountain. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Psalm 48:1
“Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.”
Commentary: Jerusalem is the city of our God, in His holy mountain.
Isaiah 11:9
“They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.”
Commentary: In the Millennial Kingdom, they will not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain. The earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh.
Isaiah 27:13
“It will happen in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and those who were outcasts in the land of Egypt, shall come; and they will worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.”
Commentary: A great trumpet will be blown. The outcasts will come and worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 56:7
“even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Commentary: God will bring them to His holy mountain and make them joyful in His house of prayer. His house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Isaiah 57:13
“When you cry, let those who you have gathered deliver you; but the wind shall take them, a breath shall carry them all away: but he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.”
Commentary: He who takes refuge in Me shall possess the land and inherit My holy mountain.
Isaiah 65:11,25
“But you who forsake Yahweh, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and who fill up mixed wine to Destiny; The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: Those who forsake Yahweh and forget His holy mountain will be judged. But in the Millennial Kingdom, they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.
Isaiah 66:20
“They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.”
Commentary: The nations will bring the children of Israel back to God’s holy mountain Jerusalem as an offering to Yahweh.
Ezekiel 20:40
“For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.”
Commentary: In God’s holy mountain, all the house of Israel will serve Him. There He will accept them and require their offerings.
Daniel 9:16,20
“Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are become a reproach to all who are around us. While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God;”
Commentary: Daniel calls Jerusalem “Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain.” He prays for the holy mountain of my God.
Daniel 11:45
“He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.”
Commentary: The antichrist will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. But he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Obadiah 1:16
“For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so will all the nations drink continually. Yes, they will drink, swallow down, and will be as though they had not been.”
Commentary: The nations will drink on God’s holy mountain. They will be as though they had not been.
Zephaniah 3:11
“In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be haughty in my holy mountain.”
Commentary: In that day, God will take away the proudly exulting ones from the midst of Israel. They will no more be haughty in My holy mountain.
Zechariah 8:3
“Thus says Yahweh: ‘I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called “The City of Truth;” and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, “The Holy Mountain.”‘”
Commentary: God says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem will be called “The City of Truth” and “The Holy Mountain.”
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Summary of Part 25
Scripture What It Says
Psalm 48:1 In his holy mountain
Isaiah 11:9 They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain
Isaiah 27:13 They will worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem
Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain
Isaiah 57:13 He who takes refuge in me shall inherit my holy mountain
Isaiah 65:11 Who forget my holy mountain
Isaiah 65:25 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain
Isaiah 66:20 To my holy mountain Jerusalem
Ezekiel 20:40 In my holy mountain
Daniel 9:16 Your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain
Daniel 9:20 For the holy mountain of my God
Daniel 11:45 The glorious holy mountain
Obadiah 1:16 On my holy mountain
Zephaniah 3:11 No more be haughty in my holy mountain
Zechariah 8:3 The mountain of Yahweh of Armies, “The Holy Mountain”
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just a city. It is God’s holy mountain. God calls it “My holy mountain” over and over again. It is where He dwells. It is where He will be worshiped. It is where the nations will come. And it is where His truth will go forth. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s holy mountain. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 26: JERUSALEM — THE “HOLY CITY”
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Jerusalem is not just a city. It is the Holy City. This is not a title that men gave it. It is a title that God gave it. It is the city where He placed His name. It is the city where He dwells. It is the city that He loves. And it is the city that will be holy to Yahweh forever. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s Holy City. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Nehemiah 11:1,18
“The princes of the people lived in Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities. All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.”
Commentary: Jerusalem is called the holy city. The people cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city.
Isaiah 48:2
“(for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; Yahweh of Armies is his name):”
Commentary: They call themselves of the holy city.
Isaiah 52:1
“Awake, awake, put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.”
Commentary: God calls Jerusalem “the holy city.” He says: “Put on your beautiful garments.” No more will the uncircumcised and the unclean come into her.
Daniel 9:24
“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.”
Commentary: Daniel calls Jerusalem “your holy city.” God has decreed seventy weeks upon it—to finish disobedience, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
Matthew 4:5
“Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,”
Commentary: Jesus was taken by the devil into the holy city—Jerusalem.
Matthew 27:53
“and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.”
Commentary: After the resurrection, the saints entered into the holy city and appeared to many.
Revelation 11:2
“Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.”
Commentary: In the tribulation, the nations will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. But this is temporary. The city will be restored.
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Summary of Part 26
Scripture What It Says
Nehemiah 11:1 To dwell in Jerusalem the holy city
Nehemiah 11:18 The Levites in the holy city
Isaiah 48:2 They call themselves of the holy city
Isaiah 52:1 Jerusalem, the holy city
Daniel 9:24 Your holy city
Matthew 4:5 The devil took him into the holy city
Matthew 27:53 They entered into the holy city
Revelation 11:2 They will tread the holy city under foot
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just a city. It is the Holy City. This is not a title that men gave it. It is a title that God gave it. It is the city where He placed His name. It is the city where He dwells. It is the city that He loves. And it is the city that will be holy to Yahweh forever. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s Holy City. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 19: THE PROMISED LAND — LAND NOT GIVEN TO ISRAEL
God was very specific about what land He was giving to Israel—and what land He was not giving to them. This is a crucial point that is often overlooked. God gave Mount Seir to Esau, Ar to Moab, and the land of Ammon to the children of Lot. These lands were not part of Israel’s inheritance. This shows that God is the owner of all lands, and He distributes them according to His sovereign will. The Jews are the stewards of the land He gave them—and only that land.
Deuteronomy 2:5,9,19
“don’t contend with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession. Yahweh said to me, ‘Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.’ and when you come near over against the children of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.”
Commentary: God is explicit. He tells Israel not to take the land of Mount Seir (given to Esau), Moab (given to the children of Lot), or Ammon (given to the children of Lot). These lands were not part of Israel’s inheritance. God is the owner of all lands, and He distributes them according to His will. The Jews are the stewards of the land He gave them—and only that land.
Joshua 24:4
“I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it: and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.”
Commentary: God gave Mount Seir to Esau to possess it. This is a possession, a stewardship. But it is not Israel’s land. God distributed the lands among the nations according to His sovereign plan.
2 Chronicles 20:10
“Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and didn’t destroy them.”
Commentary: Israel was not to invade the lands of Ammon, Moab, or Mount Seir. These lands were not part of their inheritance. This confirms that the land promise was specific. God gave Israel the land of Canaan—not the lands of Ammon, Moab, or Edom.
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Summary of Part 19
Scripture What It Says
Deuteronomy 2:5 I will not give you of their land
Deuteronomy 2:9 I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession
Deuteronomy 2:19 I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession
Joshua 24:4 I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it
2 Chronicles 20:10 The children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade
Conclusion: God was specific about the land He gave to Israel. He gave them the land of Canaan. He did not give them the land of Ammon, Moab, or Mount Seir. These lands were given to the descendants of Lot and Esau. God is the owner of all lands, and He distributes them according to His sovereign will. The Jews are the stewards of the land He gave them—and only that land. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession of all the earth and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 20: THE PROMISED LAND — CONDITION OF THE LAND DURING THE EXILE/DIASPORA
When Israel disobeyed God, the land itself suffered. The Scriptures are clear: the land became desolate, a waste, an astonishment, and a hiss. The land did not enjoy its Sabbaths while Israel lived in it, but when they were scattered among the nations, the land finally rested. This is a profound truth: the land is tied to the spiritual condition of God’s people. And it also shows that the land is God’s land—He is the one who makes it desolate, and He is the one who restores it.
Leviticus 26:31-35,43
“I will lay your cities waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not take delight in the sweet fragrance of your offerings. I will bring the land into desolation; and your enemies that dwell therein will be astonished at it. I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land. Even then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, even the rest which it didn’t have in your sabbaths, when you lived on it. The land also will be left by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them: and they will accept the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected my ordinances, and their soul abhorred my statutes.”
Commentary: God makes the land desolate when Israel disobeys. The land enjoys its sabbaths while it lies desolate. This shows that the land itself has a spiritual connection to God. It is not just real estate. It is God’s land, and it suffers when His people sin.
Deuteronomy 29:22-28
“The generation to come, your children who shall rise up after you, and the foreigner who shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick; and that the whole land of it is sulfur, and salt, and a burning, that it is not sown, nor bears, nor any grass grows therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: even all the nations shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land? what means the heat of this great anger?’ Then men shall say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and went and served other gods, and worshiped them, gods that they didn’t know, and that he had not given to them: therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against this land, to bring on it all the curse that is written in this book; and Yahweh rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as at this day.'”
Commentary: The land becomes sulfur, salt, and burning because of Israel’s sin. The nations ask why, and the answer is: because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh. God rooted them out of their land in anger. The land is God’s, and He can remove them from it.
Isaiah 7:16,18,19,23-25
“For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken. It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures. It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels, shall be for briers and thorns. People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns. All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.”
Commentary: The land becomes briers and thorns. It is desolate and forsaken. This is the condition of the land during the exile.
Jeremiah 18:16
“to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.”
Commentary: The land becomes an astonishment and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by is astonished.
Ezekiel 12:20
“The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.”
Commentary: The cities are laid waste and the land becomes a desolation. This is God’s judgment.
Ezekiel 15:8
“I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, says the Lord Yahweh.”
Commentary: God makes the land desolate because they have committed a trespass.
Ezekiel 33:28,29
“I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.”
Commentary: God makes the land a desolation and an astonishment because of their abominations.
Ezekiel 36:3,4,34-36
“therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people; therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around; The land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all who passed by. They shall say, ‘This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Commentary: The land becomes a desolation. But God promises to restore it. It will become like the garden of Eden. The nations will know that Yahweh has done it.
Ezekiel 38:8
“After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.”
Commentary: The land has been a continual waste. But in the latter years, it is brought back and the people dwell securely.
Joel 3:2
“I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment on them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. They have divided my land.”
Commentary: God will judge the nations for scattering His people and dividing His land.
Micah 3:12
“Therefore Zion for your sake will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble, and the mountain of the temple like the high places of a forest.”
Commentary: Zion will be plowed like a field. Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble. The temple mount will become like the high places of a forest.
Micah 7:13
“Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.”
Commentary: The land is desolate because of the fruit of their doings.
Zechariah 7:14
“but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
Commentary: God scatters them with a whirlwind among all the nations. The land becomes desolate so that no man passes through or returns. They made the pleasant land desolate.
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Summary of Part 20
Scripture What It Says
Leviticus 26:31-35 I will bring the land into desolation
Leviticus 26:43 The land will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate
Deuteronomy 29:22-28 The whole land is sulfur, salt, and burning
Deuteronomy 29:28 Yahweh rooted them out of their land
Isaiah 7:23-25 The land will be briers and thorns
Jeremiah 18:16 Their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing
Ezekiel 12:20 The land shall be a desolation
Ezekiel 15:8 I will make the land desolate
Ezekiel 33:28,29 I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment
Ezekiel 36:34-36 This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden
Ezekiel 38:8 The mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste
Joel 3:2 They have divided my land
Micah 3:12 Zion will be plowed like a field
Micah 7:13 The land will be desolate
Zechariah 7:14 They made the pleasant land desolate
Conclusion: The land of Israel became desolate during the exile. This was God’s judgment for Israel’s disobedience. The land is God’s land, and it suffers when His people sin. But God also promises to restore the land. It will become like the garden of Eden. The nations will know that Yahweh has done it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 27: JERUSALEM — THE NATIONS WILL COME TO JERUSALEM
To view the original page on the biblicalzionist.com website, click here:
Jerusalem is not just for the Jews. It is for all nations. In the Millennial Kingdom, all nations shall flow to it. They will come to learn the ways of Yahweh. They will come to worship the King. They will come to bring their wealth. And they will come to seek the God of Israel. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
Isaiah 2:2-3
“It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many peoples shall go and say, ‘Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.'”
Commentary: In the latter days, all nations shall flow to it. They will say: “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh.”
Isaiah 18:7
“In that time, a present will be brought to Yahweh of Armies from a people tall and smooth, even from a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion.”
Commentary: A present will be brought to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion.
Isaiah 60:3,5,10-11,14
“Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you: for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor have I had mercy on you. Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive. The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all those who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The city of Yahweh, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”
Commentary: Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. The wealth of the nations shall come to you. Foreigners shall build up your walls. Your gates shall be open continually. Those who afflicted you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet.
Isaiah 66:12,18
“For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you shall suck of it; you shall be borne on the side, and shall be dandled on the knees. For I know their works and their thoughts: the time comes, that I will gather all nations and languages; and they shall come, and shall see my glory.”
Commentary: God will extend peace to her like a river and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream. He will gather all nations and languages, and they shall come and see His glory.
Jeremiah 3:17
“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Yahweh; and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.”
Commentary: Jerusalem will be called the throne of Yahweh. All the nations shall be gathered to it.
Micah 4:2
“Many nations will go and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.'”
Commentary: Many nations will go and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh.”
Zechariah 8:22-23
“Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Yahweh. Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘In those days, ten men will take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”‘”
Commentary: Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem. Ten men from all languages will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying: “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
Zechariah 14:16-19
“It will happen that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of Armies, and to keep the feast of tents. It will be, that whoever of all the families of the earth doesn’t go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of Armies, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt doesn’t go up, and doesn’t come, neither will it rain on them. This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of tents. This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of tents.”
Commentary: During the Millennial Kingdom, all nations will go up from year to year to worship the King in Jerusalem. Those who refuse will be disciplined—there will be no rain on them. This is the law of the Kingdom.
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Summary of Part 27
Scripture What It Says
Isaiah 2:2-3 All nations shall flow to it
Isaiah 18:7 A present will be brought to Mount Zion
Isaiah 60:3 Nations shall come to your light
Isaiah 60:5 The wealth of the nations shall come to you
Isaiah 60:10 Foreigners shall build up your walls
Isaiah 60:11 Your gates shall be open continually
Isaiah 60:14 They shall call you The city of Yahweh
Isaiah 66:12 The glory of the nations like an overflowing stream
Isaiah 66:18 I will gather all nations and languages
Jeremiah 3:17 All the nations shall be gathered to it
Micah 4:2 Many nations will go and say, “Come”
Zechariah 8:22 Many peoples and strong nations will come
Zechariah 8:23 Ten men will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew
Zechariah 14:16 All the nations will go up from year to year to worship the King
Zechariah 14:17 Whoever doesn’t go up will have no rain
Conclusion: Jerusalem is not just for the Jews. It is for all nations. In the Millennial Kingdom, all nations shall flow to it. They will come to learn the ways of Yahweh. They will come to worship the King. They will come to bring their wealth. And they will come to seek the God of Israel. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 28: JERUSALEM — JERUSALEM CALLED “ZION”
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Jerusalem is not just called “Jerusalem.” It is also called “Zion.” Zion was originally the name of the stronghold that David captured—the city of David. But over time, “Zion” became a name for the whole city of Jerusalem, and even for the mountain where the Temple stood. It is a name that represents God’s presence, God’s king, and God’s salvation. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem is Zion, God’s holy hill. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Zion over Israel and the entire world.
2 Samuel 5:7
“Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.”
Commentary: David took the stronghold of Zion. It became the city of David. Zion is the original name for the city of Jerusalem.
1 Kings 8:1
“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion.”
Commentary: The ark of the covenant was brought up out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 Kings 19:21,31
“This is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape: the zeal of Yahweh shall perform this.”
Commentary: The virgin daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem are mentioned together. Out of Mount Zion those who shall escape will go forth.
1 Chronicles 11:5
“The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, ‘You shall not come in here.’ Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.”
Commentary: David took the stronghold of Zion.
2 Chronicles 5:2
“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion.”
Commentary: The ark was brought up out of the city of David, which is Zion.
Psalm 2:6
“Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion.”
Commentary: God says: “I have set My king on My holy hill of Zion.” Jerusalem is God’s holy hill.
Psalm 9:11,14
“Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done. that I may show forth all your praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in your salvation.”
Commentary: Yahweh dwells in Zion. The daughter of Zion is mentioned.
Psalm 14:7
“Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When Yahweh restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”
Commentary: The salvation of Israel would come out of Zion.
Psalm 20:2
“send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion,”
Commentary: Support comes from Zion.
Psalm 48:2,11,12
“Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King. Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers.”
Commentary: Mount Zion is beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King.
Psalm 50:2
“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.”
Commentary: Zion is the perfection of beauty. God shines forth from it.
Psalm 51:18
“Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.”
Commentary: God is asked to do well to Zion and build the walls of Jerusalem.
Psalm 53:6
“Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”
Commentary: The salvation of Israel would come out of Zion.
Psalm 69:35
“For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.”
Commentary: God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah.
Psalm 74:2
“Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.”
Commentary: God has lived in Mount Zion.
Psalm 76:2
“His tabernacle is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion.”
Commentary: God’s tabernacle is in Salem. His dwelling place is in Zion.
Psalm 78:68
“But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.”
Commentary: God loved Mount Zion.
Psalm 84:7
“They go from strength to strength. Everyone of them appears before God in Zion.”
Commentary: They go from strength to strength. Everyone appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 87:2,5
“Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Yes, of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one was born in her;’ the Most High himself will establish her.”
Commentary: Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. The Most High Himself will establish her.
Psalm 97:8
“Zion heard and was glad. The daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of your judgments, Yahweh.”
Commentary: Zion heard and was glad.
Psalm 99:2
“Yahweh is great in Zion. He is high above all the peoples.”
Commentary: Yahweh is great in Zion.
Psalm 102:13,16,21
“You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come. For Yahweh has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory. that men may declare the name of Yahweh in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;”
Commentary: The set time has come for God to have mercy on Zion. Yahweh has built up Zion.
Psalm 110:2
“Yahweh will send forth the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
Commentary: God will send the rod of your strength out of Zion.
Psalm 125:1
“Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.”
Commentary: Mount Zion cannot be moved. It remains forever.
Psalm 126:1
“When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.”
Commentary: When God brought back those who returned to Zion, they were like those who dream.
Psalm 128:5
“May Yahweh bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.”
Commentary: God blesses out of Zion.
Psalm 129:5
“Let them be disappointed and turned backward, all those who hate Zion.”
Commentary: All those who hate Zion will be disappointed.
Psalm 132:13
“For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.”
Commentary: Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for His habitation.
Psalm 133:3
“like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion: for there Yahweh gives the blessing, even life forevermore.”
Commentary: There Yahweh gives the blessing, even life forevermore.
Psalm 134:3
“May Yahweh bless you from Zion; even he who made heaven and earth.”
Commentary: God blesses from Zion.
Psalm 135:21
“Blessed be Yahweh from Zion, Who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise Yah!”
Commentary: Yahweh dwells at Jerusalem.
Psalm 137:1,3
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy: ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!'”
Commentary: The people wept when they remembered Zion. Their captors demanded the songs of Zion.
Psalm 146:10
“Yahweh will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise Yah!”
Commentary: Yahweh will reign forever.
Psalm 147:12
“Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!”
Commentary: Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!
Psalm 149:2
“Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.”
Commentary: Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Song of Solomon 3:11
“Go forth, you daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart.”
Commentary: The daughters of Zion are called to see King Solomon.
Isaiah 1:8,27
“The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.”
Commentary: The daughter of Zion is left like a besieged city. But Zion shall be redeemed with justice.
Isaiah 2:3
“Many peoples shall go and say, ‘Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.”
Commentary: Out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
Isaiah 3:16,17
“Moreover Yahweh said, ‘Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and flirting eyes, walking to trip as they go, jingling ornaments on their feet; therefore the Lord brings sores on the crown of the head of the women of Zion, and Yahweh will make their scalps bald.'”
Commentary: The daughters of Zion are rebuked for their haughtiness.
Isaiah 4:3-5
“It will happen, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even everyone who is written among the living in Jerusalem; when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from its midst, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. Yahweh will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.”
Commentary: He who is left in Zion shall be called holy. God will create over Mount Zion a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night.
Isaiah 8:18
“Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.”
Commentary: Yahweh of Armies dwells in Mount Zion.
Isaiah 10:12,24,32
“Therefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks. Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says ‘My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did. This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.'”
Commentary: God will perform His whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem. He tells His people who dwell in Zion not to be afraid.
Isaiah 12:6
“Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion; for the Holy One of Israel is great in the midst of you!”
Commentary: The Holy One of Israel is great in the midst of you.
Isaiah 14:32
“What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.”
Commentary: Yahweh has founded Zion. In her the afflicted of His people will take refuge.
Isaiah 16:1
“Send the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.”
Commentary: The mountain of the daughter of Zion is mentioned.
Isaiah 18:7
“In that time, a present will be brought to Yahweh of Armies from a people tall and smooth, even from a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion.”
Commentary: A present will be brought to the place of the name of Yahweh of Armies, Mount Zion.
Isaiah 24:23
“Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders will be glory.”
Commentary: Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 28:16
“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.'”
Commentary: God lays in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone. This is Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 29:8
“It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn’t satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.”
Commentary: The nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like a hungry man who dreams he eats.
Isaiah 30:19
“For the people will dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. You will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When he hears you, he will answer you.”
Commentary: The people will dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. God will be gracious to them.
Isaiah 31:4,9
“For thus says Yahweh to me, ‘As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds is called together against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them, so Yahweh of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its heights. His rock will pass away by reason of terror, and his princes will be afraid of the banner,’ says Yahweh, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.”
Commentary: Yahweh of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion. His fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 33:5,14,20
“Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning? Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.”
Commentary: God has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. The sinners in Zion are afraid. But Zion will be a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed.
Isaiah 34:8
“For Yahweh has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.”
Commentary: God has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Isaiah 35:10
“The Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Commentary: The ransomed of Yahweh will return, and come with singing to Zion.
Isaiah 37:22,32
“this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.'”
Commentary: The virgin daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem are mentioned. Survivors will escape from Mount Zion.
Isaiah 40:9
“You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Don’t be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold, your God!'”
Commentary: Tell good news to Zion. Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold, your God!”
Isaiah 41:27
“I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them;’ and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.”
Commentary: God says: “I am the first to say to Zion, ‘Behold, look at them.'”
Isaiah 46:13
“I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not wait; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”
Commentary: God will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory.
Isaiah 49:14
“But Zion said, ‘Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.'”
Commentary: Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me.” But God responds in the next verses: “I will not forget you.”
Isaiah 51:3,11,16
“For Yahweh has comforted Zion; he has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Yahweh; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. The ransomed of Yahweh shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. I have put my words in your mouth, and have covered you in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and tell Zion, You are my people.”
Commentary: Yahweh has comforted Zion. He has made her wilderness like Eden. The ransomed of Yahweh shall return, and come with singing to Zion.
Isaiah 52:1,2,7,8
“Awake, awake, put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust; arise, sit on your throne, Jerusalem: loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns! The voice of your watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Yahweh returns to Zion.”
Commentary: Awake, awake, put on your strength, Zion. Your God reigns! Yahweh returns to Zion.
Isaiah 59:20
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: A Redeemer will come to Zion. This is Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 60:14
“The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all those who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The city of Yahweh, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”
Commentary: They shall call you The city of Yahweh, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 61:3
“to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.”
Commentary: God will appoint to those who mourn in Zion a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
Isaiah 62:1,11
“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. Behold, Yahweh has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say you to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
Commentary: For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace. Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes.”
Isaiah 64:10
“Your holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.”
Commentary: Zion is become a wilderness. This is the judgment.
Isaiah 66:8
“Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
Commentary: As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Jeremiah 3:14
Return, backsliding children, says Yahweh; for I am a husband to you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:”
Commentary: God says: “I will bring you to Zion.”
Jeremiah 4:6,31
“Set up a standard toward Zion: flee for safety, don’t stay; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, ‘Woe is me now! for my soul faints before the murderers.'”
Commentary: Set up a standard toward Zion. The voice of the daughter of Zion is heard in anguish.
Jeremiah 6:2,23
“The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off. They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.”
Commentary: The daughter of Zion is cut off. The enemy comes against the daughter of Zion.
Jeremiah 8:19
“Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: isn’t Yahweh in Zion? Isn’t her King in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their engraved images, and with foreign vanities?”
Commentary: The cry of the daughter of My people is heard. Isn’t Yahweh in Zion? Isn’t her King in her?
Jeremiah 9:19
“For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, ‘How are we ruined! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.'”
Commentary: A voice of wailing is heard out of Zion.
Jeremiah 14:19
“Have you utterly rejected Judah? has your soul loathed Zion? why have you struck us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay!”
Commentary: The prophet asks: “Has your soul loathed Zion?”
Jeremiah 26:18
“Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of Armies: “Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.”‘”
Commentary: Zion shall be plowed as a field. This is the judgment.
Jeremiah 30:17
“For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says Yahweh; because they have called you an outcast, saying, ‘It is Zion, whom no man seeks after.'”
Commentary: God will restore health to Zion. They called her “Zion, whom no man seeks after.” But God will heal her.
Jeremiah 31:6,12
“For there shall be a day, that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim shall cry, ‘Arise you, and let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.’ They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow to the goodness of Yahweh, to the grain, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.”
Commentary: The watchmen shall cry: “Arise, and let us go up to Zion.” They shall sing in the height of Zion. Their soul shall be as a watered garden.
Jeremiah 50:5,28
“They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come you, and join yourselves to Yahweh in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.’ The voice of those who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Yahweh our God, the vengeance of his temple.”
Commentary: They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned toward it. They shall declare in Zion the vengeance of Yahweh.
Jeremiah 51:10,24,35
“Yahweh has brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of Yahweh our God. I will render to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, says Yahweh. The violence done to me and to my flesh be on Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, My blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.”
Commentary: Let us declare in Zion the work of Yahweh our God. God will render to Babylon all their evil that they have done in Zion.
Lamentations 1:4,6,17
“The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; all her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh: her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness. From the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, they are gone without strength before the pursuer. Zion spreads forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob, that those who are around him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.”
Commentary: The ways of Zion do mourn. Zion spreads forth her hands; there is none to comfort her.
Lamentations 2:1,4,6,8,10,13,18
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: The daughter of Zion is covered with a cloud in God’s anger. God has violently taken away His tabernacle. The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. Their heart cried to the Lord.
Lamentations 4:2,11,22
“The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations. The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.”
Commentary: The precious sons of Zion are compared to fine gold. God has kindled a fire in Zion. But the punishment of Zion’s iniquity is accomplished.
Lamentations 5:11,18
“They ravished the women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah. For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate: The foxes walk on it.”
Commentary: The mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
Joel 2:1,15,23,32
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh comes, for it is close at hand: Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. ‘Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh, your God; for he gives you the former rain in just measure, and he causes the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before. It will happen that whoever will call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.'”
Commentary: Blow the trumpet in Zion! Be glad then, you children of Zion. In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape.
Joel 3:16,17,21
“Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. ‘So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more. I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Yahweh dwells in Zion.'”
Commentary: Yahweh will roar from Zion. He is a refuge to His people. Yahweh dwells in Zion.
Amos 1:2
“He said: ‘Yahweh will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither.'”
Commentary: Yahweh will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem.
Amos 6:1
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who are secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!”
Commentary: Woe to those who are at ease in Zion. This is a rebuke to the complacent.
Obadiah 1:17,21
“But in Mount Zion, there will be those who escape, and it will be holy. The house of Jacob will possess their possessions. Saviors will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be Yahweh’s.”
Commentary: In Mount Zion, there will be those who escape. Saviors will go up on Mount Zion. The kingdom will be Yahweh’s.
Micah 1:13
“Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.”
Commentary: Lachish was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion.
Micah 3:10,12
“They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. Therefore Zion for your sake will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble, and the mountain of the temple like the high places of a forest.”
Commentary: They build up Zion with blood. Therefore Zion will be plowed like a field.
Micah 4:2,7,8,10,11,13
“Many nations will go and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem; and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. You, tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, yes, the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go forth out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. Now many nations have assembled against you, that say, ‘Let her be defiled, and let our eye gloat over Zion.’ Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion; for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass; and you will beat in pieces many peoples: and I will devote their gain to Yahweh, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.”
Commentary: Out of Zion will go forth the law. Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion.
Zephaniah 3:14,16
Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, ‘Don’t be afraid, Zion. Don’t let your hands be slack.'”
Commentary: Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! God says to Zion: “Don’t be afraid. Don’t let your hands be slack.”
Zechariah 1:14,17
“So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Proclaim, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. Proclaim further, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.'”‘”
Commentary: God says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.” He will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.
Zechariah 2:7,10
“‘Come, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.’ Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for, behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you,’ says Yahweh.”
Commentary: “Come, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.” God says: “I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you.”
Zechariah 8:2-3
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.’ Thus says Yahweh: ‘I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called “The City of Truth;” and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, “The Holy Mountain.”‘”
Commentary: God says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem will be called “The City of Truth” and “The Holy Mountain.”
Zechariah 9:9,13
“Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man.”
Commentary: Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you! This is the Messiah—Jesus Christ—coming to Zion.
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Summary of Part 28 (Continued)
Scripture What It Says
Micah 4:2 Out of Zion will go forth the law
Micah 4:7 Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion even forever
Micah 4:8 The tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion
Micah 4:10 There you will be rescued
Micah 4:11 Many nations have assembled against you
Micah 4:13 Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion
Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel!
Zephaniah 3:16 Don’t be afraid, Zion
Zechariah 1:14 I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion
Zechariah 1:17 Yahweh will again comfort Zion
Zechariah 2:7 Come, Zion! Escape
Zechariah 2:10 I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you
Zechariah 8:2 I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy
Zechariah 8:3 I have returned to Zion
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Zechariah 9:13 I will stir up your sons, Zion
Conclusion: Jerusalem is called Zion. It is the city of David. It is the city God loves. It is the city from which salvation comes. It is the city where Yahweh will reign forever. Out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever. The land is God’s land, and Jerusalem—Zion—is God’s city. The Jews are the stewards of it. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
PART 29: THE PROMISED LAND — REBLOOMING OF THE LAND AFTER THE REGATHERING
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When God regathers His people to the land, the land itself will rebloom. The wilderness will become a fruitful field. The desert will blossom like a rose. The burning sand will become a pool. This is not just a physical restoration—it is a spiritual one. God is the one who restores the land, and He does it for His own name’s sake. The land is God’s land, and He will make it bloom again.
Isaiah 27:6
“In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bud. They will fill the surface of the world with fruit.”
Commentary: In the days to come, Jacob will take root and Israel will blossom and bud. The land will produce fruit. This is the regathering and restoration of Israel.
Isaiah 32:15
“Until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest.”
Commentary: The reblooming of the land is tied to the pouring out of the Spirit. The wilderness becomes a fruitful field. The land is restored by the Spirit of God.
Isaiah 35:1,2,6,7
“The wilderness and the dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. Lebanon’s glory Lebanon will be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They will see Yahweh’s glory, the excellence of our God. Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.”
Commentary: The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly. Waters will break out in the wilderness. The burning sand will become a pool. This is the reblooming of the land—and it is tied to the glory of Yahweh being revealed.
Isaiah 41:19,20
“I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set fir trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert; that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
Commentary: God will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. The purpose is that all may see, know, consider, and understand that the hand of Yahweh has done this. The reblooming of the land is a testimony to God’s power.
Isaiah 51:3
“For Yahweh has comforted Zion; he has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Yahweh; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.”
Commentary: God makes Zion’s wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of Yahweh. Joy and gladness, thanksgiving and melody are found in it. The land is restored to a paradise-like state.
Isaiah 55:13
“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Commentary: Instead of the thorn, the fir tree will come up. Instead of the brier, the myrtle tree. This is to Yahweh for a name, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Jeremiah 31:5,28
“Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy its fruit. It shall happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: Israel will plant vineyards and enjoy its fruit. God will watch over them to build and to plant. The land will be restored.
Ezekiel 28:26
“They shall dwell securely therein; yes, they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and shall dwell securely, when I have executed judgments on all those who do them despite all around them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh their God.”
Commentary: They shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and dwell securely. The land is restored.
Ezekiel 34:27,29
“The tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them. I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they shall be no more consumed with famine in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more.”
Commentary: The tree of the field shall yield its fruit. The earth shall yield its increase. They shall be secure in their land. God will raise up a plantation for renown.
Ezekiel 36:8,9,29,30,34-36
“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn into you, and you shall be tilled and sown; I will save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. The land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all who passed by. They shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Commentary: The mountains of Israel shall shoot forth their branches and yield their fruit. The land that was desolate shall be tilled. It shall become like the garden of Eden. The nations will know that Yahweh has done it.
Joel 2:22,24,25
“Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness spring up, for the tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. The threshing floors will be full of wheat, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.”
Commentary: The pastures of the wilderness spring up. The tree bears its fruit. God will restore the years that the locust has eaten.
Amos 9:13,14
“‘Behold, the days come,’ says Yahweh, ‘that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading grapes him who sows seed; and sweet wine will drip from the mountains, and flow from the hills. I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.'”
Commentary: The plowman shall overtake the reaper. Sweet wine will drip from the mountains. God will bring His people Israel back from captivity. They will rebuild the ruined cities and plant vineyards.
Zechariah 8:12
“‘For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.'”
Commentary: The vine will yield its fruit. The ground will give its increase. The heavens will give their dew. God will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
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Summary of Part 29
Scripture What It Says
Isaiah 27:6 Israel will blossom and bud
Isaiah 32:15 The wilderness becomes a fruitful field
Isaiah 35:1 The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose
Isaiah 41:19 I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness
Isaiah 51:3 I have made her wilderness like Eden
Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree
Jeremiah 31:5 You shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
Jeremiah 31:28 I will watch over them to build and to plant
Ezekiel 28:26 They shall build houses, and plant vineyards
Ezekiel 34:27 The tree of the field shall yield its fruit
Ezekiel 36:8 You shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit
Ezekiel 36:35 This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden
Joel 2:22 The pastures of the wilderness spring up
Joel 2:25 I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten
Amos 9:13 The plowman shall overtake the reaper
Amos 9:14 I will bring my people Israel back from captivity
Zechariah 8:12 The vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase
Conclusion: When God regathers His people to the land, the land itself will rebloom. The wilderness will become a fruitful field. The desert will blossom like a rose. The burning sand will become a pool. This is the reblooming of the land—and it is tied to the pouring out of the Spirit. God is the one who restores the land, and He does it for His own name’s sake. The land is God’s land. The Jews are the stewards. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 30: THE PROMISED LAND — REBUILDING ON THE LAND AFTER THE REGATHERING
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When God regathers His people to the land, they will rebuild it. The ruins will be restored. The waste places will be rebuilt. The cities will be inhabited again. This is not just a physical rebuilding—it is a spiritual restoration. God is the one who builds. God is the one who plants. God is the one who restores. And He does it for His own name’s sake. The land is God’s land, and He will rebuild it.
Psalm 69:35
“For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.”
Commentary: God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah. His people shall settle there and own it. This is the restoration.
Psalm 147:2
“Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.”
Commentary: Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. The rebuilding is tied to the regathering.
Isaiah 44:26
“who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’ and I will raise up its waste places.'”
Commentary: God says of Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited.” Of the cities of Judah, “They will be built.” And He will raise up its waste places. God is the one who rebuilds.
Isaiah 58:12
“Those who shall be of you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”
Commentary: They shall build the old waste places. They shall raise up the foundations of many generations. They shall be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Isaiah 61:4
“They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”
Commentary: They shall build the old wastes. They shall raise up the former desolations. They shall repair the waste cities.
Jeremiah 31:4,28
“Again will I build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: again you shall be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who make merry. It shall happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says Yahweh.”
Commentary: God will build Israel, and she shall be built. Just as God watched over them to pluck up and break down, so He will watch over them to build and to plant.
Jeremiah 33:7
“I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.”
Commentary: God will cause the captivity to return and build them, as at the first.
Ezekiel 36:10,33,36
“and I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built; Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built. Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
Commentary: The cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built. The nations will know that Yahweh has built the ruined places.
Amos 9:11,14
“In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old; I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.”
Commentary: God will raise up the tent of David and build it as in the days of old. He will bring His people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities.
Micah 7:11
“A day to build your walls— In that day, he will extend your boundary.”
Commentary: There is a day to build your walls. In that day, God will extend your boundary.
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Summary of Part 30
Scripture What It Says
Psalm 69:35 God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah
Psalm 147:2 Yahweh builds up Jerusalem
Isaiah 44:26 She will be inhabited; they will be built
Isaiah 58:12 You shall build the old waste places
Isaiah 61:4 They shall build the old wastes
Jeremiah 31:4 Again will I build you, and you shall be built
Jeremiah 31:28 I will watch over them to build and to plant
Jeremiah 33:7 I will build them, as at the first
Ezekiel 36:10 The cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built
Ezekiel 36:33 I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built
Ezekiel 36:36 I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places
Amos 9:11 I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen
Amos 9:14 They will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them
Micah 7:11 A day to build your walls
Conclusion: When God regathers His people to the land, they will rebuild it. The ruins will be restored. The waste places will be rebuilt. The cities will be inhabited again. God is the one who builds. God is the one who plants. God is the one who restores. He does it for His own name’s sake. The land is God’s land. The Jews are the stewards. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 31: THE PROMISED LAND — 2 1/2 TRIBES SETTLED EAST OF THE JORDAN
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God gave the land of Canaan to Israel as an inheritance. But the land east of the Jordan was also given to Israel—to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. This land was taken from Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. These two kings came out against Israel, and God delivered them into Israel’s hand. The land east of the Jordan became the inheritance of the 2 1/2 tribes. This shows that God is the owner of all lands, and He gives them according to His sovereign will. The Jews are the stewards of the land He gave them.
Numbers 21:24,25,31-35
“Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. Israel took all these cities: and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its towns. Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took its towns, and drove out the Amorites who were there. They turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Don’t fear him: for I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ So they struck him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.”
Commentary: Israel possessed the land of Sihon and Og. God delivered them into Israel’s hand. The land east of the Jordan is given to Israel.
Numbers 32:1-42
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: The children of Reuben and Gad asked Moses for the land east of the Jordan because it was good for livestock. Moses initially rebuked them because they were discouraging the hearts of the other tribes from going over the Jordan to possess the land. But they agreed to go armed before their brothers until the land was subdued. Then they would return to their possession east of the Jordan. Moses agreed, and gave the land to Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The land east of the Jordan became their inheritance.
Numbers 34:14,15
“for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received, their inheritance: the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”
Commentary: The 2 1/2 tribes received their inheritance east of the Jordan. It is a legitimate inheritance, given by God.
Deuteronomy 2:24,31
“‘Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of the Arnon: behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before you: begin to possess, that you may inherit his land.”‘”
Commentary: God says: “I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land.” The land is a gift. Israel is to possess it and inherit it.
Deuteronomy 3:1-4,8,12-20
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: God delivered Og, king of Bashan, into Israel’s hand. They took all his cities—sixty cities. The land was given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The land east of the Jordan became their possession.
Deuteronomy 29:7,8
“When you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us to battle, and we struck them: and we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites.”
Commentary: The land was taken and given for an inheritance to the 2 1/2 tribes.
Joshua 1:14
“Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock, shall live in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them.”
Commentary: The 2 1/2 tribes were to leave their families in the land east of the Jordan and go armed before their brothers to help them possess the land west of the Jordan.
Joshua 12:1-6
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: The kings of the land east of the Jordan are listed. Moses gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 13:8-13,15-32
(See the full text in the document above.)
Commentary: The inheritance of the 2 1/2 tribes is described in detail. The land is their inheritance.
Joshua 14:3
“For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.”
Commentary: The 2 1/2 tribes received their inheritance east of the Jordan. The Levites received no land inheritance—Yahweh Himself is their inheritance.
Joshua 18:7
“For the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them.”
Commentary: The 2 1/2 tribes received their inheritance east of the Jordan. It is a legitimate inheritance, given by God through Moses.
Joshua 22:4,7,9
“Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan. Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.”
Commentary: The 2 1/2 tribes returned to the land of their possession east of the Jordan. The land is their possession, given by God through Moses.
1 Chronicles 5:26
“The God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.”
Commentary: The 2 1/2 tribes were carried away into captivity by Assyria. The land was lost because of disobedience.
1 Chronicles 26:32
“His brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers’ houses, whom king David made overseers over the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for the affairs of the king.”
Commentary: David made overseers over the 2 1/2 tribes for every matter pertaining to God and the king.
1 Chronicles 27:20,21
“of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah: of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner.”
Commentary: The half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead is mentioned among the tribes of Israel.
Nehemiah 9:22
“Moreover you gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you allotted after their portions: so they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.”
Commentary: God gave them kingdoms and peoples. They possessed the land of Sihon and Og. The land is a gift from God.
Psalm 135:10-12
“who struck many nations, and killed mighty kings, Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.”
Commentary: God gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people. The land east of the Jordan is part of Israel’s heritage.
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Summary of Part 31
Scripture What It Says
Numbers 21:24 Israel possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok
Numbers 32:33 Moses gave them the kingdom of Sihon and Og
Numbers 34:14 The 2 1/2 tribes have received their inheritance
Deuteronomy 2:24 I have given into your hand Sihon and his land
Deuteronomy 3:12 This land we took in possession at that time
Deuteronomy 29:8 We took their land, and gave it for an inheritance
Joshua 1:14 The land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan
Joshua 12:6 Moses gave it for a possession to the 2 1/2 tribes
Joshua 13:8 The Reubenites and Gadites received their inheritance
Joshua 14:3 Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes
Joshua 18:7 The 2 1/2 tribes have received their inheritance
Joshua 22:4 The land of your possession beyond the Jordan
1 Chronicles 5:26 He carried them away to Halah, and Habor, and Hara
Nehemiah 9:22 They possessed the land of Sihon and Og
Psalm 135:12 Gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel
Conclusion: The 2 1/2 tribes—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—received their inheritance east of the Jordan. This land was taken from Sihon and Og, and God gave it to Israel. It is a legitimate inheritance, given by God. The Jews are the stewards of the land. God is the eternal owner. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 32: THE PROMISED LAND — THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY
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God describes the land of Israel as “a land flowing with milk and honey.” This is not just a description of its physical abundance. It is a description of God’s blessing. The land is good because God made it good. The land is fruitful because God makes it fruitful. The land is a gift—given to Israel by the God who brought them out of Egypt. And it is a gift that comes with responsibility. The land is God’s land, and the Jews are the stewards until Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King.
Exodus 3:8,17
“I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. and I have said, ‘I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.'”
Commentary: God calls the land “a good and large land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” This is the land He promised to give to Israel.
Exodus 13:5
“It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.”
Commentary: God swore to the fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.
Exodus 33:3
“to a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way.”
Commentary: The land is flowing with milk and honey. But God warns that He will not go up in the midst of Israel if they are stiff-necked.
Leviticus 20:24
“But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples.”
Commentary: God separated Israel from the peoples. The land is given to them as an inheritance.
Numbers 13:27
“They told him, and said, ‘We came to the land where you sent us; and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is its fruit.'”
Commentary: The spies confirmed that the land flows with milk and honey.
Numbers 14:8
“If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. It flows with milk and honey.
Numbers 16:13,14
“is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”
Commentary: The rebels sarcastically called Egypt a land flowing with milk and honey. But the true land of milk and honey is the land God promised to give them.
Deuteronomy 6:3
“Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: God promised the fathers a land flowing with milk and honey. Obedience is tied to blessing in the land.
Deuteronomy 11:9
“and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give to them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: The land is sworn by God to the fathers. It flows with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 26:9,15
“and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: God brought us into this place and gave us this land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 27:3
“and you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have passed over; that you may go in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.”
Commentary: The land is given by God. It flows with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 31:20
“For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then will they turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.”
Commentary: God warns that when Israel is filled and grows fat in the land, they will turn to other gods. Prosperity in the land can become a snare.
Joshua 5:6
“For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to the voice of Yahweh. Yahweh swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which Yahweh swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Commentary: God swore to the fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.
Jeremiah 11:5
“that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.’ Then answered I, and said, ‘Amen, Yahweh.'”
Commentary: God swore to the fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.
Jeremiah 32:22
“and gave them this land, which you did swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;”
Commentary: God gave them this land, which He swore to their fathers. It is a land flowing with milk and honey.
Ezekiel 20:6,15
“in that day I swore to them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;”
Commentary: God calls the land “the glory of all lands.” It is a land flowing with milk and honey. But God also swore that the unbelieving generation would not enter it.
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Summary of Part 32
Scripture What It Says
Exodus 3:8 A good and large land, flowing with milk and honey
Exodus 13:5 Which he swore to your fathers to give you
Exodus 33:3 To a land flowing with milk and honey
Leviticus 20:24 You shall inherit their land
Numbers 13:27 Surely it flows with milk and honey
Numbers 14:8 A land which flows with milk and honey
Numbers 16:13 A land flowing with milk and honey
Deuteronomy 6:3 A land flowing with milk and honey
Deuteronomy 11:9 A land flowing with milk and honey
Deuteronomy 26:9 He has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey
Deuteronomy 27:3 A land flowing with milk and honey
Deuteronomy 31:20 Flowing with milk and honey
Joshua 5:6 A land flowing with milk and honey
Jeremiah 11:5 A land flowing with milk and honey
Jeremiah 32:22 A land flowing with milk and honey
Ezekiel 20:6 Flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands
Ezekiel 20:15 Flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands
Conclusion: The land of Israel is described as “a land flowing with milk and honey.” This is not just a description of its physical abundance. It is a description of God’s blessing. The land is good because God made it good. The land is fruitful because God makes it fruitful. The land is a gift—given to Israel by the God who brought them out of Egypt. But it is a gift that comes with responsibility. The land is God’s land. The Jews are the stewards. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 33: THE PROMISED LAND — FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA
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“From Dan to Beersheba” was a common phrase used to describe the whole land of Israel. Dan was in the north, and Beersheba was in the south. The phrase indicated the full extent of the land inhabited by Israel during Biblical times. This shows that the land God gave to Israel had specific, recognizable borders—from the north to the south. The land is God’s land, and the Jews are the stewards of it.
Judges 20:1
“Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah.”
Commentary: All Israel assembled from Dan even to Beersheba. This phrase describes the whole land—the entire inheritance of Israel.
1 Samuel 3:20
“All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh.”
Commentary: Samuel was recognized as a prophet from Dan even to Beersheba—throughout the whole land of Israel.
2 Samuel 3:10
“to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”
Commentary: David’s throne was established over Israel and Judah from Dan even to Beersheba—over the entire land.
2 Samuel 17:11
“But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle in your own person.”
Commentary: All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba were to be gathered together—the whole nation.
2 Samuel 24:2,15
“The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, ‘Go now back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number you the people, that I may know the sum of the people. So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.”
Commentary: The census was taken from Dan even to Beersheba—the whole land. The pestilence also came from Dan even to Beersheba—the whole land.
1 Kings 4:25
“Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.”
Commentary: Judah and Israel lived safely from Dan even to Beersheba—the whole land—during Solomon’s reign. This was a time of peace and blessing.
1 Chronicles 21:2
“David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, ‘Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.'”
Commentary: David commanded the census to be taken from Beersheba even to Dan—the whole land.
2 Chronicles 30:5
“So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it in great numbers in such sort as it is written.”
Commentary: The proclamation went throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan—the whole land—calling the people to keep the Passover to Yahweh at Jerusalem.
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Summary of Part 33
Scripture What It Says
Judges 20:1 From Dan even to Beersheba
1 Samuel 3:20 All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba
2 Samuel 3:10 From Dan even to Beersheba
2 Samuel 17:11 From Dan even to Beersheba
2 Samuel 24:2 From Dan even to Beersheba
2 Samuel 24:15 From Dan even to Beersheba
1 Kings 4:25 From Dan even to Beersheba
1 Chronicles 21:2 From Beersheba even to Dan
2 Chronicles 30:5 From Beersheba even to Dan
Conclusion: “From Dan to Beersheba” was a common phrase used to describe the whole land of Israel. Dan was in the north, and Beersheba was in the south. The phrase indicated the full extent of the land inhabited by Israel during Biblical times. This shows that the land God gave to Israel had specific, recognizable borders—from the north to the south. The land is God’s land. The Jews are the stewards. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 34: THE PROMISED LAND — THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL
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The mountains of Israel are a specific geographic region within the land. Any topographical map of Israel reveals that the mountains of Israel, Judah, and Ephraim—later known as the mountains of Judea and Samaria—refer to that area generally known today as “The West Bank.” This is the heart of the land. It is where God promised to bring His people back. It is where He will feed them. It is where He will restore them. And it is where the nations will be judged. The land is God’s land, and the Jews are the stewards of it.
Joshua 11:16,21
“So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the mountains of Israel, and the lowland of the same; Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.”
Commentary: Joshua captured the mountains of Israel. This is part of the land given to Israel.
Judges 3:27
“It happened, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains, and he before them.”
Commentary: The mountains of Ephraim are part of the land of Israel.
Judges 4:5
“She lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.”
Commentary: Deborah judged Israel in the mountains of Ephraim.
Judges 19:1
“It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the mountains of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.”
Commentary: A Levite sojourned in the mountains of Ephraim.
1 Samuel 14:22
“Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.”
Commentary: The men of Israel hid themselves in the mountains of Ephraim.
2 Chronicles 13:4
“Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, ‘Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel.'”
Commentary: Abijah stood on a mountain in the mountains of Ephraim.
2 Chronicles 18:16
“He said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Yahweh said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.'”
Commentary: Israel was scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd.
Ezekiel 6:2,3
“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them, and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.'”
Commentary: God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains of Israel. God will bring a sword on them because of Israel’s sin.
Ezekiel 19:9
“They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.”
Commentary: The voice of the prince would no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel 33:28
“I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.”
Commentary: The mountains of Israel shall be desolate because of sin.
Ezekiel 34:13,14
“I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture; and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel.”
Commentary: God will gather them from the countries and bring them into their own land. He will feed them on the mountains of Israel. This is the regathering and restoration.
Ezekiel 35:12
“You shall know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your insults which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are laid desolate, they have been given us to devour.'”
Commentary: God hears the insults spoken against the mountains of Israel. The enemies of Israel will be judged.
Ezekiel 36:1,4,6,8
“You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh. therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around; Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations: But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.'”
Commentary: God promises that the mountains of Israel will shoot forth their branches and yield their fruit to His people Israel. The mountains will be restored.
Ezekiel 37:22
“and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;”
Commentary: God will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king to them all. This is the Messiah—Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 38:8
“After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.”
Commentary: In the latter years, the nations will come against the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste. But Israel will be brought forth out of the peoples and dwell securely.
Ezekiel 39:2,4,17
“and I will turn you around, and will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring you on the mountains of Israel; You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your hordes, and the peoples who are with you: I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the animals of the field to be devoured. You, son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Speak to the birds of every sort, and to every animal of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.”
Commentary: God will bring the enemy nations on the mountains of Israel. They will fall on the mountains of Israel. This is the final battle. God will judge the nations on the mountains of Israel.
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Summary of Part 34
Scripture What It Says
Joshua 11:16 Joshua captured the mountains of Israel
Joshua 11:21 The mountains of Judah, and the mountains of Israel
Judges 3:27 He blew a trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim
Judges 4:5 She lived in the mountains of Ephraim
Judges 19:1 A Levite sojourning in the mountains of Ephraim
1 Samuel 14:22 Hid themselves in the mountains of Ephraim
2 Chronicles 13:4 Mount Zemaraim, in the mountains of Ephraim
2 Chronicles 18:16 All Israel scattered on the mountains
Ezekiel 6:2 Set your face toward the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 19:9 His voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 33:28 The mountains of Israel shall be desolate
Ezekiel 34:13 I will feed them on the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 35:12 Insults spoken against the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 36:1 Prophesy to the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 36:8 You mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches
Ezekiel 37:22 One nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 38:8 On the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste
Ezekiel 39:2 I will bring you on the mountains of Israel
Ezekiel 39:4 You shall fall on the mountains of Israel
Conclusion: The mountains of Israel are a specific geographic region within the land. They are the heart of the land—the area known today as “The West Bank.” God promised to bring His people back to the mountains of Israel. He will feed them there. He will restore them there. He will make them one nation there. And He will judge the nations there. The land is God’s land. The Jews are the stewards. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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PART 35: THE BORDERS OF ISRAEL
To view the original page on the biblicalzionist.com website, click here:
Introduction
This section of the Biblical Zionist website
www.biblicalzionist.com
is intended to be the most complete study of the Biblical Borders of Israel that can possibly be done with the tools available. It’s the result of hundreds of hours sifting through maps, atlases, historical writings, websites, and such. The focus here is on what God said the borders would be—and He did specify in great detail the borders of The Land He was promising to His Chosen People forever. This isn’t a historical study, so it doesn’t look at the borders of Israel at any particular time in history, including today. Usually their borders were less than God’s designated borders. For a time during the reigns of David and Solomon, they controlled areas beyond God’s designated borders. Only once did the Bible state that Israel had all the land that God had promised to them (Joshua 21:43). Let’s see what The Bible says about those Borders…
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The Borders of Israel
God gave specific borders to the land of Israel. These borders are described in detail throughout the Scriptures. They are not vague or symbolic. They are real, geographic boundaries. From the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. From the wilderness to the great sea. God defined the land He was giving to His people. And He promised to enlarge their borders when they obeyed. The land is God’s land, and He sets its boundaries. The Jews are the stewards of the land within those borders.
Genesis 10:19
“The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.”
Commentary: The border of the Canaanites is described here. Since God gave Canaan to Israel, these borders are related to the borders of Israel.
Genesis 15:18-21
“In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'”
Commentary: God makes a covenant with Abram and defines the borders of the land: from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. This is the land grant.
Exodus 16:35
“The children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate the manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.”
Commentary: Israel came to the borders of the land of Canaan.
Exodus 23:31
“I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.”
Commentary: God sets the border from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River (Euphrates).
Exodus 34:24
“For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land when you go up to appear before Yahweh, your God, three times in the year.”
Commentary: God will enlarge your borders. He will protect the land while Israel goes up to worship Him.
Numbers 13:21
“So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.”
Commentary: The spies went from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. These are the outer limits of the land.
Numbers 34:1-12
“Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Command the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders), then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward; and your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and the goings out of it shall be southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go forth to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon; and the border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea. For the western border, you shall have the great sea and the border of it: this shall be your west border. This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for you Mount Hor; from Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the goings out of the border shall be at Zedad; and the border shall go forth to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar Enan: this shall be your north border. You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham; and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward; and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.”‘”
Commentary: This is the most detailed description of the borders of Israel. God defines the south, west, north, and east borders. The land is given as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 1:7
“turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all the places near there, in the Arabah, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the seashore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.”
Commentary: The land extends as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
Deuteronomy 11:24
“Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the western sea shall be your border.”
Commentary: The border is from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the Euphrates, to the western sea. Every place where the sole of their foot treads shall be theirs.
Deuteronomy 12:20
“When Yahweh your God shall enlarge your border, as he has promised you, and you shall say, ‘I will eat flesh,’ because your soul desires to eat flesh; you may eat flesh, after all the desire of your soul.”
Commentary: God will enlarge your border, as He has promised.
Deuteronomy 19:8
“If Yahweh your God enlarge your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and give you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;”
Commentary: God will enlarge your border, as He has sworn to the fathers.
Deuteronomy 34:1-4
“Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. Yahweh showed him all the land of Gilead, to Dan, and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, to the hinder sea, and the South, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, to Zoar. Yahweh said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, “I will give it to your seed: I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”‘”
Commentary: God showed Moses all the land—from Gilead to Dan, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah, the South, and the Plain of Jericho. This is the land He swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Joshua 1:4
“From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border.”
Commentary: The border is from the wilderness and Lebanon, to the Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea.
Joshua 11:16,17
“So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same; from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death.”
Commentary: Joshua captured all that land—from Mount Halak to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon.
Joshua 12:7,8
“These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel struck beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.”
Commentary: Joshua gave the land to the tribes of Israel for a possession.
Joshua 13:1-6
“Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years. Yahweh said to him, ‘You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed. This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites; from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim, on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath; all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.'”
Commentary: This passage describes the land that still remains to be possessed. It includes the regions of the Philistines, the Geshurites, the Sidonians, and all Lebanon.
Joshua 15:1-4
“The lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost part of the south. Their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward; and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea, and passed along by Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned about to Karka; and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border.”
Commentary: These are the borders of Judah—the southernmost tribe. Judah’s south border is also the south border of the Promised Land.
Joshua 19:49
“So they made an end of distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them.”
Commentary: They distributed the land for inheritance by its borders.
Joshua 23:4,5
“Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun. Yahweh your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as Yahweh your God spoke to you.”
Commentary: God has allotted the nations that remain to be an inheritance for your tribes. You shall possess their land, as Yahweh spoke.
2 Kings 14:25
“He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Yahweh, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath Hepher.”
Commentary: God restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah.
Isaiah 26:15
“You have increased the nation, O Yahweh. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.”
Commentary: God has enlarged all the borders of the land. He is glorified.
Jeremiah 31:17
“There is hope for your latter end, says Yahweh; and your children shall come again to their own border.”
Commentary: There is hope. Your children shall come again to their own border.
Ezekiel 11:10,11
“You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am Yahweh. This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall you be the flesh in its midst; I will judge you in the border of Israel;”
Commentary: God will judge them in the border of Israel.
Ezekiel 47:13,15-20
“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘This shall be the border, by which you shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. This shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad; Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer Hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. The border from the sea, shall be Hazar Enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. The east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border to the east sea you shall measure. This is the east side. The south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth Kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the great sea. This is the south side southward. The west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.'”
Commentary: This is the border by which the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the twelve tribes. The north, east, south, and west borders are described.
Ezekiel 48:1,28
“Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath, (and they shall have their sides east and west), Dan, one portion. By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the great sea.”
Commentary: The borders of the tribes are described. The south border is from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the great sea.
Joel 3:6
“and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their border.”
Commentary: The enemies of Israel sold God’s people far from their border.
Micah 5:6
“They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.”
Commentary: The Messiah will deliver Israel when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.
Zephaniah 2:8
“I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.”
Commentary: Moab and Ammon magnified themselves against their border. God will judge them.
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Summary of Part 35
Scripture What It Says
Genesis 10:19 The border of the Canaanites
Genesis 15:18 From the river of Egypt to the Euphrates
Exodus 16:35 The borders of the land of Canaan
Exodus 23:31 I will set your border from the Red Sea
Exodus 34:24 I will enlarge your borders
Numbers 13:21 From the wilderness of Zin to Rehob
Numbers 34:1-12 The borders of the land of Canaan
Deuteronomy 1:7 As far as the great river, the river Euphrates
Deuteronomy 11:24 From the wilderness to the western sea
Deuteronomy 12:20 When Yahweh your God shall enlarge your border
Deuteronomy 19:8 If Yahweh your God enlarge your border
Deuteronomy 34:1-4 This is the land which I swore
Joshua 1:4 From the wilderness to the great sea
Joshua 11:16 Joshua captured all that land
Joshua 12:7 Joshua gave it for a possession
Joshua 13:1-6 The land that still remains
Joshua 15:1-4 The south border of Judah
Joshua 19:49 Distributing the land for inheritance by its borders
Joshua 23:4 I have allotted to you these nations
2 Kings 14:25 He restored the border of Israel
Isaiah 26:15 You have enlarged all the borders of the land
Jeremiah 31:17 Your children shall come again to their own border
Ezekiel 11:10 I will judge you in the border of Israel
Ezekiel 47:13 This shall be the border
Ezekiel 48:1 From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon
Joel 3:6 Remove them far from their border
Micah 5:6 When he invades our land, and marches within our border
Zephaniah 2:8 Magnified themselves against their border
Conclusion: God gave specific borders to the land of Israel. These borders are described in detail throughout the Scriptures. They are real, geographic boundaries—from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates, from the wilderness to the great sea. God defined the land He was giving to His people. And He promised to enlarge their borders when they obeyed. The land is God’s land, and He sets its boundaries. The Jews are the stewards of the land within those borders. And when Jesus Christ returns as the rightful King, He will take full possession and rule from Jerusalem over Israel and the entire world.
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