Cleansing of My People

          

Who are Israel?   All the prophets carefully separate the House of Israel from the House of Judah, in over 160 prophesies.   Their various names and their current whereabouts are easily found in the Bible and in secular histories.

They will rejoin in the last days as in Ezekiel 37:21-22 –Two sticks joined as one.  Isaiah 56:8..added to those already gathered. Every righteous Christian, now the Israelites of God.

An often used allegory for His people in the Bible is ”My sheep”.

Ezekiel 34:20 Fat and lean sheep judged.

John 10:16 Other sheep I have and I will gather them. Jesus refers to Christians and as we see in Revelation 7:9, they will be the vast multitude of the Lord’s people.

Another allegory for Israel is “the vine”.

Amos 5:17 ..wailing in every vineyard, for I shall pass through your midst.

Jeremiah 6:9-15 Glean Israel like a vine ..no warning.. cannot hold back the anger of the Lord. This passage parallels  Matthew 24: 37-41 one taken, another left…..

Micah 7:1 Summer fruit gathered at the gleaning.

Ezekiel 20:34-38 I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.  I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.  As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD.  I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.  I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

So, Israel is cleansed and the righteous allowed to settle in the Land. (v40)

When can this happen? 

Isaiah 63:1-6 describes the Lord taking a “Day of Vengeance” as “the Year for redeeming My own had come”.  The parallel for this event is Revelation 14:17-20 .. the earth’s grape harvest gathered and thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath.

Note that in Isaiah 63 the Lord acquires bloodstained garments and at His glorious Return, Rev. 19:13: His garments are dyed in blood. Therefore, the Day of Vengeance is some time before Jesus’ Return.