"In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out His hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of His people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth." (Isaiah 11:10-12) Not only will the Jewish people rally to Him, but the Gentiles as well; hence the reference to "the nations".
In ancient times there was a partial return of the Lord's people from the nations where they had been scattered by their enemies. Some chose to remain where they had been dispersed although they had the freedom to return, some chose to return as soon as permission was given, some delayed their return. In our own day, many of the descendants of Jacob are still scattered throughout the earth. But when the King of kings sits on David's throne, there will be a return to the land of Israel such as has never happened before.
In those days no one will call himself a citizen of the northern kingdom of Israel (referenced in this next segment as "Ephraim") and no one will call himself a citizen of the southern kingdom of Judah. The people will no longer be divided as they were in Isaiah's day. "Ephraim's jealousy will vanish, and Judah's enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim." (Isaiah 11:13) All the descendants of all of Jacob's sons will consider themselves one nation. They will be a united front.
All of their enemies---all who have persecuted the chosen people of God---will be judged by God. To symbolize this, the Lord names several ancient enemies of His people. "They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them." (Isaiah 11:14) These nations ceased to exist as sovereign people in ancient times. Descendants of those people still exist, though in some cases it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who they may be, but a day is coming when neither they nor anyone else will make war against Israel.
"The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals. There will be a highway for the remnant of His people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt." (Isaiah 11:15-16) No obstacle will stand in their way.
The words of verses 15 and 16 are figurative as well as literal, for in the book of Revelation we will see the Lord actually drying up waterways and seas, but the main application of these words is symbolic. The dry rivers symbolize His intention to make a way for everyone to return to their native land. Just as He opened up the Red Sea so His people could cross over on dry ground on their way to the Promised Land, He will open up avenues for His people that no one can block. They will return to the Promised Land. They will abide there in peace, with no threat from any enemy on any side. They will live under the righteous and holy reign of their Messiah and King forever.
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