Isa 11:13-14 | KingComments | STEP | “On that day … the Lord will again recover the second time” the scattered remnant of Israel and Judah from all nations ( ). The first time He did so by the returning of a remnant from the Babylonian exile under Cyrus ( ) with a later addition under Ezra ( ). The people delivered by Him from the Babylonian exile have rejected the promised blessing by rejecting Him in Whom all blessing is contained. When the Lord Jesus rules, He will fulfill all God’s promises to a remnant gathered by Him “from the four corners of the earth”, that is, from everywhere, from the utmost ends of the earth. This remnant consists of descendants from “Israel” (the ten tribes) and from “Judah” (the two tribes) who were scattered everywhere. They come from “Assyria”, the world empire, whose core region has always been northern Iraq, with the cities of Assur and Nineveh. The world empire of Assyria runs from northern Iraq to Pakistan. They also come from “Egypt”. “Pathros” means the Southland, which is Egypt and especially Lower Egypt. “Cush” is Ethiopia and Sudan. Also from there many Jews have returned to Israel in the course of time. The return from “Elam” we see in the exodus from Persia, that is Iran. “Shinar” is today’s southern Iraq with the city of Babylon in it. Sinear is equal to Babylon. “Hamath” is today’s Syria. With “the islands of the sea” Europe can be meant. It is the countries and islands in and around the Mediterranean Sea. In the past decades we have experienced how Jews from all the areas mentioned went to the land of Israel. We can see this as a first fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied here. Ephraim, the ten tribes realm, will no longer envy the privileged place of Judah, and Judah will no longer be dominant over Ephraim ( ), as it was in the time of Isaiah. The root of jealousy ( ), which has existed in the two and the ten tribes since the time of the tearing of the realm ( ), has finally disappeared. Ephraim has been cured of this ailment, jealousy, forever. They will be one nation and will live together as brothers ( ). Together they will, following the LORD and clothed with His power, fight and subdue the enemies, the surrounding nations, and thus rid themselves of their yoke ( ; ). Here we talk about a victory over “the Philistines … on the west”. That refers to the future conquest of the Gaza Strip. “The shoulder” refers to the western mountain slope. There the Israelites will attack them at breakneck speed. Edom, Moab and the Ammonites will also be subdued. Edom is the area of Southern Jordan, Moab the area of Central Jordan and Ammon the area of Northern Jordan. All of Jordan will come under their authority. Unity and one mindedness are also an absolute condition for the spiritual battle we are fighting ( ).

‏ Isaiah 11:13-14

The Remnant Assembled

“On that day … the Lord will again recover the second time” the scattered remnant of Israel and Judah from all nations (Isa 11:11-12). The first time He did so by the returning of a remnant from the Babylonian exile under Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-3) with a later addition under Ezra (Ezra 7:1 ; 6-8). The people delivered by Him from the Babylonian exile have rejected the promised blessing by rejecting Him in Whom all blessing is contained.

When the Lord Jesus rules, He will fulfill all God’s promises to a remnant gathered by Him “from the four corners of the earth”, that is, from everywhere, from the utmost ends of the earth. This remnant consists of descendants from “Israel” (the ten tribes) and from “Judah” (the two tribes) who were scattered everywhere.

They come from “Assyria”, the world empire, whose core region has always been northern Iraq, with the cities of Assur and Nineveh. The world empire of Assyria runs from northern Iraq to Pakistan. They also come from “Egypt”. “Pathros” means the Southland, which is Egypt and especially Lower Egypt. “Cush” is Ethiopia and Sudan. Also from there many Jews have returned to Israel in the course of time.

The return from “Elam” we see in the exodus from Persia, that is Iran. “Shinar” is today’s southern Iraq with the city of Babylon in it. Sinear is equal to Babylon. “Hamath” is today’s Syria. With “the islands of the sea” Europe can be meant. It is the countries and islands in and around the Mediterranean Sea. In the past decades we have experienced how Jews from all the areas mentioned went to the land of Israel. We can see this as a first fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied here.

Ephraim, the ten tribes realm, will no longer envy the privileged place of Judah, and Judah will no longer be dominant over Ephraim (Isa 11:13), as it was in the time of Isaiah. The root of jealousy (Isa 9:21a), which has existed in the two and the ten tribes since the time of the tearing of the realm (1Kgs 12:19-20), has finally disappeared. Ephraim has been cured of this ailment, jealousy, forever. They will be one nation and will live together as brothers (Eze 37:22). Together they will, following the LORD and clothed with His power, fight and subdue the enemies, the surrounding nations, and thus rid themselves of their yoke (Isa 11:14; Mic 5:7-8).

Here we talk about a victory over “the Philistines … on the west”. That refers to the future conquest of the Gaza Strip. “The shoulder” refers to the western mountain slope. There the Israelites will attack them at breakneck speed. Edom, Moab and the Ammonites will also be subdued. Edom is the area of Southern Jordan, Moab the area of Central Jordan and Ammon the area of Northern Jordan. All of Jordan will come under their authority.

Unity and one mindedness are also an absolute condition for the spiritual battle we are fighting (Phil 1:27b).