When Jesus Returns: The Gathering of His People (Lesson I)

With each generation that passes we become further and further away from Yahweh and his laws and commandments. The earth, at the present time, is pretty much full, it is just about at the capacity, when Yahweh will soon consume the earth with the increase of transgression and defiance; therefore, it is important for us not to fall short in these latter days. Yahushua makes it very clear that as faithful servants it is important that we watch and pray.

Our beginning scripture is from the book of Mark 13:32-33 and it reads, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” A few people during these latter ends claim to know the time, date, and day of Yahushua’s return; however, we just read in Mark that no one knows when that day and hour will be. Only Yahweh knows his days. We know that we are in the season because Yahweh has given us signs to watch out for. With that said, we know that this is the last generation because we recognize the signs.

Now let’s briefly recap what we went over on Wednesday’s lesson regarding what will happen before Yahushua comes through those clouds, so that we can continue the process of sealing this knowledge in our foreheads, so that this day will not take us by surprise. And if you’ve missed this lesson you can certainly find it in Blogtalkradio.com under its title which is The Return of Yahushua: A Day of Darkness by In The Spirit Ministries.

Now remember from our lesson that it will be a bright afternoon that suddenly turns into thick darkness. You may be having lunch, driving, walking along the road, watching television, cooking, sleeping, shopping and then suddenly the day will turn into complete darkness. We know from scriptures that the moon will turn into blood or as some will say wine, but in any case the moon will be red. So it will be a dark day with a red moon. We know that there will be a great and mighty shaking, a great earthquake, and rocks will be falling from the sky. Remember this will be the outer picture of the world before Yahushua returns.

In addition to this, there is going to be so much chaos and confusion because people who haven’t read and studied the scriptures won’t know what is going on. They will be running to and fro trying to escape the calamity at hand. And remember it is going to be dark, a darkness that we’ve never seen before. There will not be a star in sight and the moon will not give us brightness.

So when you see these things happening remember for Yahweh’s faithful servants there is no need to panic nor be sore afraid. We know that Yahweh is not angry with us. We know that his wrath will not be geared toward us. This is a time that we can rejoice. This is a time that we can dance like David danced. When we see these events happening we know that we will be shortly going home to our inheritance. To a land flowing with milk and honey; this a land that was promised to our forefathers.

Now listen closely: Before the wrath of Yahweh, he has promised his people, the remnant of Israel, an escape. Let’s turn to Isaiah 11:11-13 and it reads, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up and ensign (now this word ensign in Hebrew means signal) for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Remember as stated earlier Yahweh has left us signs to look for.

Now lets go down to verse 16 “And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. Now remember when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, and Pharoah and all his chariots and men were right on their trail, and the children of Israel stopped at the crossing of the Red Sea wondering, what now, how do we cross this sea a body of water on foot? Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters divided making the children of Israel to walk upon dry land.

You can read more of this in Exodus the 14^th Chapter. The parting of the Red Sea begins in verse 21 and goes all the way to the end of the chapter. Now notice that Yahweh caused the sea to divide all that night. There were hundreds of thousands of Israelites, it wasn’t 50 or 60. It was in the hundreds of thousands. And Yahweh has promised us a similar escape.

So let’s stay in the book of Isaiah for a while, because it is in the book of this major prophet Isaiah where Yahweh speaks of his promises. Let’s go to Isaiah 14:1-4 and it reads, “For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from they sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased!”

Notice Yahweh is going to have mercy on Jacob and will choose Israel. Now let me just say this before we go any further. We know from scriptures in Genesis 32:28 and Genesis 35:10, that Yahweh changed Jacob’s name to Israel. So when we say Israel we are still referring to Jacob, not the country Israel. Some people get that confused. When we say Israelites we are still referring to the seed of Jacob, or the children of Israel, when we make reference to the 12 Tribes we are referring to the 12 Tribes of Israel, the offspring of Jacob. Those who are living in Israel at the present time are called Israelis, they are not the Israelites. The Israelites are not there, they haven’t been in the land since 70 A.D., they were scattered into the four corners of the earth.

The Hebrew Israelites of the Bible have been scattered into the four corners of the earth, scripture makes that very, very clear. Yahweh has made the remembrance of them cease from among men and has had them placed in a land among strangers, in the land of the heathen. In a land that is not theirs, in a land that was not promised to Abraham. They were scattered because they continuously rebelled against Yahweh; they continuously did wicked deeds; worshiped other gods; sacrificed their children and made them pass through the fire; they contacted familiar spirits; they were very disobedient with numerous abominations all done in the sight of Yahweh; they were a forward, stiff-necked people, children in whom there was no faith. Deuteronomy Chapter 32 will explain all of this as well as other chapters and verses, right up until the book of Jeremiah 17:4 when our Father decided to turn his face upon the Israelites. It reads, “And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.”  

We can also begin to really feel the separation; in Isaiah 59:1-2 where it reads, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Who is he talking to in this verse? He’s talking to the children of Israel. And in the book of Lamentations you can feel the sorrow of the author who just weeps for the children of Israel. Always keep in mind that the children of Israel, Jacobs children, the Israelites are scattered nobody is currently in the land. However, Yahweh has promised to gather his chosen people and take them to the land promised to Abraham when he made his covenant with him.

That was just a little bit of history on that subject. History books and what people think or assume may not always coincide with the history of the Bible unless it’s proven with scripture. History doesn’t back up the Bible—the Bible is history and speaks for itself. The Bible is the only book where scripture backs up scripture.

There’s a lot involved with the gathering of his chosen people, so we probably will have to have more than three lessons on the subject and if we need more time, then we will definitely spend more time on this subject.

Let’s go to Isaiah 43:5-10 and it reads, “Fear not for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

We see in this scripture that Yahweh is going to gather his people those whom he has chosen for his glory from the north, south, east and west, his sons and his daughters. So that let’s us know further that the children of Israel are not in the land at the present time. As you can see in scripture they are scattered throughout the four corners of the earth, north, south, east, and west.

If we go back and read verse ten it clearly states that Yahweh has chosen them. Throughout the Old Testament he has stated plenty of times that he is the GOD OF ISRAEL (Remember not the country Israel.) The children of Israel were to be a light for the Gentiles. Let’s read Isaiah 61:9 “And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.” And in this particular verse, check in your Strong’s Concordance, the word “Gentiles” means nations.

Now a great number of people do not want to see nor believe that Yahweh has a chosen people. Or it could be, in their defense, that Yahweh has shut their eyes as it is stated in Isaiah 44:18 “They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.” With that being said and although there are scriptures that make this very clear, Yahweh has blinded them, and I’m sure he has his reasons; thus, being everything is done for his purpose, his pleasure, and to fulfill his prophecy.  So Yahweh is coming back for his remnant the firstfruits. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek.” The children of Israel are the firstfruits they are Yahweh’s remnant.

Now let’s go to Isaiah 54:7-8; 10 and it reads, “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but wilt everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” Verse ten “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” We see here that Yahweh is coming for his people.

Let’s Luke 21:36, and it reads, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Again from the New Testament, Yahushua is telling us again to watch and pray.

Let’s read our last verse here for this teaching in the book of Jeremiah 32:37-42 “Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.”

There you have it: When we reflect on history these verses right here in Jeremiah tell the story of a people who have been oppressed in a land that is not theirs. Oppressed by their enemies, whose rock is not as our Rock. A people who are in a land where the remembrance of them has ceased from among men; a people who are in a land where they cannot prosper; a people who are in a land where they are considered inferior; a people who are in a land whose culture is not their culture; a people who are in a land where the language is not the language of their ancestors; a people who are in a land where there is no peace; a people who are in the land where the laws are not the laws of Yahweh. Selah. Ponder over that for a while as we end our teaching tonight.

Our closing scripture is from the book of Jeremiah 33:14, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” Yahweh will definitely keep his promise and gather his chosen people to the land of their inheritance. Shalom.