Israel will return to Jehovah. The prophet Hosea said, “Come and let us return to Jehovah; / For He has torn us, but He will heal us, / And He has stricken us, but He will bind us up” (6:1). Verse 2 says, “He will enliven us after two days; / On the third day He will raise us up, / And we will live in His presence.” According to the principle in the Bible, “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years” (2 Pet. 3:8). Hence, the two days in Hosea 6:2 might each signify the first two periods of a thousand years, counting from A.D. 70, when the Roman prince Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, cruelly killed thousands of Jews, and scattered the Jews among the nations. From that time the Jews have been without king, without prince, without sacrifice, and without the temple, fulfilling Hosea’s prophecy in verse 4 of chapter 3. For two thousand years God has left Israel in a dead condition. After this two-thousand-year period, the third thousand years will come. The third day in 6:2 might signify the third period of a thousand years, that is, the millennium, the age of restoration, in the reality of Christ’s resurrection (Rev. 20:4, 6).
Hosea 6:11 is Jehovah’s promise to Judah. Jehovah promised that there will be a harvest appointed for Judah, when He will turn the captivity of His people. This means that in the restoration all the Israelites, including the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, will be very rich in all kinds of produce from the earth. The earth was created by God to produce a rich harvest, but due to the fall of man, the earth was cursed to grow thorns and thistles, and man has had to labor by the sweat of his face (Gen. 3:17-19). In the restoration the earth will be restored to its original condition and will be rich, fertile, and productive. Thus, a harvest will be apportioned to Judah for their enjoyment.
Hosea 14:4-8 is a description, a picture, of Israel’s transformation in the restoration (2:15-23; 3:5; 6:1-3; 10:12). Jehovah will heal their apostasy, and He will love them freely, for His anger will turn away from them. He will be like the dew to Israel. Israel will bud like the lily, signifying a pure life trusting in God (Matt. 6:28), and will send forth his roots like the trees of Lebanon, signifying standing steadily in the uplifted humanity (cf. S. S. 3:9). His shoots will go forth, signifying flourishing and spreading; his splendor will be like that of the olive tree, signifying glory in fruitfulness; and his fragrance will be like that of the trees of Lebanon, signifying the sweet odor of a life in the uplifted humanity. Those who sit under his shade, signifying being overshadowed by the sufficient grace that they enjoy (2 Cor. 12:9), will return. They will revive like grain, signifying being full of life for producing satisfying food, and will bud like the vine, signifying blossoming for producing cheering drink. Israel’s renown will be like the wine of Lebanon, signifying a good name spreading like tasteful wine. Israel’s transformation as described in these verses is based on the factor of love in life.
At the beginning of Hosea, Israel is a harlot; however, at the end of this book, Israel has become a son of God. Eventually, Ephraim declares that he has no more idols. “Ephraim says, What have I yet to do with idols?” and God answers, “I respond and look on him. / I am like a green fir tree; / From Me your fruit is found” (14:8). Jehovah’s being like a green fir tree, symbolizing God’s being living and evergreen, and Ephraim’s bearing fruit from Him indicate Ephraim’s oneness with Jehovah. They also indicate that based on the factor of love in life, a wonderful transformation will take place. This is more than an organic union. It is the oneness of two in one life, one nature, and one living.
In the book of Joel God desires to bless His land (2:18-27). The holy land is a particular land; it is God’s land. God desires to bless His land with the rich produce of the land. God also desires to bless His land by the rains—the early rain and the late rain. Finally, God desires to bless His land by driving away from His people the enemies sent by Him as the swarming locust, the licking locust, the consuming locust, and the cutting locust, His great army.