B. Israel's Return
to the Holy Land for Restoration

Now we come to the matter of Israel's return to the Holy Land for restoration.

1. In That Day Jehovah Beating Out
the Grain from the Flowing Stream
of the Euphrates River unto the Brook of Egypt

Isaiah 27:12 and 13 say, "In that day Jehovah will beat out the grain from the flowing stream of the River/Unto the brook of Egypt;/And you will be gathered/One by one, O you children of Israel./And in that day a great trumpet will be blown,/And the ones lost in the land of Assyria will come,/As well as the outcasts in the land of Egypt, / And they will worship Jehovah/On the holy mountain in Jerusalem." The expression the River in verse 12 refers to the Euphrates, and the grain denotes the scattered people of Israel. According to these verses, all the outcast, lost, and scattered Israelites will be gathered back to the good land. The fulfillment of this prophecy began with the return of the captives from Babylon, it is continuing today, and it will be fully accomplished at the time of the Lord's second coming.

2. In That Day a Song
Being Sung in the Land of Judah

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city;/He will set up salvation as walls and a rampart./Open the gates/So that the righteous nation may enter,/They who maintain faithfulness./You will keep the steadfast of mind/In perfect peace/Because he trusts in You./Trust in Jehovah forever and ever,/For in Jah Jehovah we have an eternal rock" (26:1-4). Whereas in the opening chapters of Isaiah the children of Israel were not faithful, here we are told that Israel is a nation which maintains faithfulness.

3. In That Day Singing of a Vineyard of Wine

Isaiah 27:2-9 speaks of singing of a vineyard of wine. In these verses it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the one speaking is Israel or Isaiah. Verse 2 says, "In that day:/A vineyard of wine, sing of it!" Jehovah is the keeper of this vine. He waters it every moment, and lest harm come to it, He guards it day and night (v. 3). The Lord says that He has no wrath toward Israel (v. 4a). Then He continues by saying, "O, that I had thorns and thistles/In battle I would march against them;/I would burn them completely. / Or let him grasp at My strength;/Let him make peace with Me" (vv. 4b-5). In the next verse, the thought leaps to Jacob, who will be blessed. "In the days to come Jacob will take root;/Israel will blossom and bud;/And they will fill the face of the earth with their produce" (v. 6). Verse 7 continues by asking if Jehovah has stricken them like those who struck them, if they have been slain like those slain by Him. Then verses 8 and 9 go on to say, "By expulsion and by banishing them, You contended with them;/He sent them away with His harsh wind in the day of the east wind./Thus by this the iniquity of Jacob will be expiated,/And this is all the fruit of the removal of their sin;/When they make all the stones of their altar/Like chalk stones beaten to powder— /Asherim and incense altars will not stand." Here we see that Israel will be redeemed. Their Asherim, their sun images, will be no more, for all idols and false altars will be destroyed.