There will be a very difficult time for the nation of Israel the Bible calls the time of trouble for Jacob (Jeremiah 30:5-7). Althogh Israel has gone through many troubles in history, but none will be like what will happen during this time in the future. This is confirmed by Jesus Himself when Jesus was asked by the disciples about the end times right before His second coming in glory and power (Matthew 24:21-22,30).

Jeremiah 30:5-7

5 "This is what the LORD says: " 'Cries of fear are heard— terror, not peace. Can a man bear children? 6 Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? 7 None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.

Matthew 24:21-22

21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Matthew 24:30

30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

The time is the second half of the last week (or seven prophetic years) of the seventy week of the prophecy delivered to Daniel by the angel Gabriel. The antichrist will make a peace treaty with Israel at the beginning of the seventieh week. However, after three and a half year, the antichrist will break the treaty and put Israel in great trouble. The antichrist will forbid Israel's religious activities and render abomination in the temple (Daniel 9:27). This is confirmed by Jesus (Matthew 24:15-16) and apostle Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). Israel's temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, in order for the prophecy of abomination in the temple to occcur, a new temple will be built. As a matter of fact, the project of building of the third temple is being pursued ( see the video presentation). The rebuilding of the third temple will unfortunately almost guarantee conflicts in the region (see this video presentation, and this will happen as the world is winding down fulfilling the prophecy of end times. However, let us encourage each other that God is in control of all these things and all who love God will receive blessings instead of wrath of God out of these (Romans 8:28).

Daniel 9:27

27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Matthew 24:15-16

15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Romans 8:28

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

However, God will defend Israel during this great tribulation as stated in Jeremiah 30:7. The duration of trouble has already been determined and fortold (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 12:5-6) i.e. 1,260 days or 3 and a half prophetic years (3.5 * 360 = 1,260). The woman mentioned in Revelation 12:5-6 is the symbolic representation of Israel. The male child represents Jesus Christ who is God in flesh as promised by God to Abraham who is known as the father of of all nations because all nations receive blessings from God through Jesus Christ who is the promised Messiah born as an descendent of Abraham (Genesis 12:8; John 1:14).

Revelation 12:5-6

5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Genesis 22:18

18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As of today, like the ancestors, the majority of Israel does not accept Jesus as the Messiah. However, during the great tribulation, many will confess their sins and error of not accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior when God will pour out the Holy Spirit on them. Israel will acknowledge Jesus, the Messiah whom they rejected and crucified (Zechariah 12:9-10).

Zechariah 12:9-10

9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. 10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Daniel 9:20-27

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: 24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

On part 1, we concludes that the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:20-27 covers 490 years (62 * 7 + 7 * 7 + 1 * 7 = 490 years). In the Bible, duration of a year is equal to 360 days as seen in Revelation 11:2-3 in which 42 months of persecution refers to the same 1,260 days of empowerment of God of the two witnesses. Since 42 months is equal to 1,260 days, a month is 30 days long and therefore a year is 360 days long. This segment of time (the 1,260 days) is referred to in both Daniel 7:24-25 and Revealation 12:14. The phrase "time, times and half a time" means 3.5 years (i.e. 1 + 2 + 0.5 = 3.5 years or 42 months).

Revelation 11:2-3

2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

Daniel 7:24-25

24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

Revelation 12:14

14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.

Also, Genesis 7:11 mentions that the flood began on the seventeenth day of the second month and Genesis 8:4 mentions that the flood ended on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. Genesis 7:24 and Genesis 8:3 also mention that the flood lasted for 150 days. Studying these verses together, again, we see a 30-day month implying a year is 360 days long.

Genesis 7:11

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month?on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 8:4

4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 7:24

24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 8:3

3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down,

For more details and reasons to conclude that a year is 360 days long, please refer to the works of Anderson and Hoehner 1, 2. Now, the next question is when does this seventy weeks of years start and when will the seventieth week of year end. On studying Daniel 9:25, the start of the period is marked by the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem. The Anointed One , the ruler i.e. Jesus Christ will come 483 years later (7 * 7 + 62 * 7 = 483 years) and then the messiah will be cut off. History shows that the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem and the crucification of Christ have occurred and the dates of these two events can be dated. We may simply verify if the time span of these two events is equal to 173,880 days (483 * 360 = 173,880 days) in order to conclude if the first 69 weeks (69 * 7 = 483 years) of the prophecy has been fulfilled. On the other hand, the end of the last seven years is marked by the end of sin and everlasting righteousness. We certainly know that there is not yet the end of sin for sins are rampant in the world including Israel today. One day of listening to the news will convince us the fact that the seventieth week is of the future. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the last week (1 * 7 = 7 years) has not arrived and this implies that there is a gap between the 69th seven and the 70th seven. We are living in this gap of world history which apostle Paul calls a mystery when Israel is hardening towards the gospel while many Gentiles enter the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Then godlessness and sins will be taken away and all Israel will be saved in the future. How wonderful and merciful our God is (Roman 11:25-32)! Gentiles and Israel alike receive mercy and salvation from sins from the great deliverer Jesus Christ!

Romans 11:25-32

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

We will continue next time to verify if the first 69 weeks of the prophecy has occurred precisly as stated.

On studying the scriptures (Jeremiah 24:8-11), Daniel knew that the exile to Babylon was about to end and he prayed and confessed their sins on behalf of his people to God for keeping His promise to let his fellow people return to their homeland. The seventy years mentioned in Jeremiah 24:11 refers to the periord probably began in the fourth year of Jehoiakim when Jerusalem was first attacked by Nebuchadnezzar in 605/604 B.C. and ended with the decree of Cyrus to let the Jews return in 536/535 B.C. [1]. Then God revealed to Daniel the prophecy of seventy weeks (or units of seven) of years concerning the ultimate future of Israel in the context of world history (Daniel 9:20-27).

Jeremiah 24:8-11

8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, 9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy a them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Daniel 9:20-27

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: 24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

The prophecy mentions three periods in terms of 'sevens': 7 sevens, 62 sevens and 1 seven i.e. a total of 70 sevens or 490 in total. The first period starts from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and ends when the Anointed One i.e. the Messiah comes. The prophecy mentions that the Messiah will be cut off at the second period, this means that the the coming of the Messiah at the end of third period must mean the second coming of the Messiah in His glory to rule the world (Revealation 1:4-8). We know that the first coming of the Messiah was the birth of Jesus as a baby in the manger (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:14). Jesus suffered crucification and death to pay for the wages of sins for all mankind such that all who belive in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (Isaiah 53:5 ; John 3:16) for all who believe in Him will be united in His resurrection (Romans 6:5).

Isaiah 9:6

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 1:14

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Revealation 1:4-8

4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spiritsa before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Isaiah 53:5

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

John 3:16

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 6:5

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

The meaning of the 'seven' in its original language has no unit and has been used in the scriptures multiple times and it can mean a seven-day week, a Feast of Weeks, and in this case seven years. It is more reasonable to interprete 'seven' as 'seven years' because, firstly, Daniel was thinking in terms of years (Daniel 9:2). Secondly, Daniel understood that the captivity of seventy years was a punishment of Israel's violation of the command to give the land a year of sabatical rest for every seven years and there were 70 violations during Israel's 490 years of history (2 Chronicles 36:21). Thirdly, there are no historical events that fit the 490 days or 490 weeks period. Only the interpretation of 490 years provides meaningful events in history as we see later.

Daniel 9:2

2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

2 Chronicles 36:21

21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.

Key Verse: Ezekiel 37:25

25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.

As discussed in last blog entry, Israel returned to her homeland and re-established as a nation fulfiling part of the prophecy of Ezekiel 37 and we all withness this fulfillment in recent world history. However, God also says in Ezekiel 37:25 that David will be their prince forever. When I studied this passage, my question is whether the person David the king David who had ruled over Israel before or Jesus Christ, the Messiah who is considered the seed of David in terms of flesh. To answer this question, I researched on the related scriptures on Eze37:25. By the way, interpreting the Bible with the Bible is a good method to understand the Bible. Althoguh the Bible is composed of 69 books and written by many authors in different times, the ultimate author of the Bible is God himself. Therefore, the Bible is consitent in theme and complimentary in different parts of the Bible. As Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As a matter of fact, after Jesus' crucification, believers became sad and discouraged. Many of them thought that this was the end of Jesus' ministry and so were their hope. Then, the resurrected Jesus studied the Bible with two discouraged disciples who were explaining to them what these events really meant in Luke 24:26-27. Notice that Jesus used various books of the Bible in the study:

26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Let's return to our study of who the everlasting ruler is. Please refer to 2 Samuel 7:8-17,

8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. " 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me ; your throne will be established forever.' "

17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

God revealed to prophet Nathan that through an offspring of David, God will establish his kingdom (verse 12) and his throne will last forever (verse 13). In verse 14, God also reveals that he (David's offspring) will be God's son and God will be his father. Therefore, we can see that it is the seed of David, Jesus Christ the Messiah who extends the throne of David forever and Jesus Christ is called the Son of God. Friends, when we put our trust in Jesus, we can also enter the kingdom of God which lasts to eternity! Please note that before this revelation to prophet Nathan, God has also revealed to Abraham, the forefather of David in Genesis 17:5 and 18:18,

17:5 No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

18:18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

I hope all mankind will receive the everlasting blessings from God promised to father Abraham. Friends, you know that this promise is confirmed to all who put their trust in Jesus in John 3:16,

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

To close, I want to point out part of a verse in the referenced scripture (2 Samuel 7:14 ) which says "...When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men." Notice that Jesus, born in human flesh, has been tempted in every way and even by the devil, but did not fall into temptation and sinned (Hebrews 4:15). He was punished by God on our behalf such that we who trust in Jesus will satisfy God's demand of justice (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Hebrews 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Isaiah 53:5-6

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus Christ is indeed worthy and qualified to be our everlasting ruler who is Word became flesh and came to the world (John 1:14).

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Let us read together the popular Christmas scriptures in Isaiah 9:6-7 with joy and gratefullness.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Key verses: Ezekiel 37:1-3

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

This vision given to Ezekiel more than two thousand five hundred years ago right before the destruction of Jerusalem by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. God used dry bones to represent the whole nation of Israel because the nation would be broken and ceased to exist as a nation. As a matter of fact, after Jerusalem was conquered in 70 A.D. by the Roman Empire, they scattered in different countries all over the world. Apart from countries where many Jews known have lived such as Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Russia and the USA, Jewish population can even be found in unexpected countries such as India, China and Ethiopia.

A Bene Jew of India is blowing the shofar

A Jewish Synagogue in Bombay, India

Chinese Jews reading Tora in the synagogue

Beta Israel Jews in Ethiopia

These dry bones represent the ''dead'' nation of Israel for there is none other example in world history that a broken country with their citizens scattered over the world could re-establish and become a nation again. Yet, God told Ezekiel more than 2,500 years ago that the Israelits would scatter into different countries and would return to their homeland and re-establish as a nation (Ezekiel 37:11-13):

11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ''Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ''This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

God also emphasized that they will be re-established as a united country rather a divided country of northern and southern countries since 931 B.C. after Solomon''s reign (Ezekiel 37:21-22)

21 and say to them, ''This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.

On May 14th, 1948, Israel declared independence with the support of the United Nations resolution. Land was given to the Jews and they might return to form a nation. We all witness one of the greatest miracles in world history for we actually see a ''dead'' country resurrected into a living country in our very eyes today! Friends, as we studied this passage in the Bible and consider the history of the Jewish people and the return to their homeland and become an independent nation, we should see the power and faithfulness of God and the trustworthiness of His words the Bible. We can trust this when Jesus said in John 11:25,

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

The declaration of independance of Israel on May 14th, 1948. Please refer to this news article on that day published by Time Magazine

I enjoy listing more scriptures about the prophecy of the return of Israel:

Jeremiah 29:14

I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

Ezekiel 11:17

"Therefore say: ''This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.''

Ezekiel 20:41

I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.

Ezekiel 28:25

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.

Ezekiel 34:13

I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.