Day of Atonement

The prophecy of Moses follows, and builds on, Adam’s prophecy. Adam’s timeline has only the beginning and the end of redemption. Moses‘ timeline adds details, but still emphasizes those two points.

Passover represents the death of Christ. The Firstfruits (wave sheaf) represent the resurrection of Christ and the special resurrection of saints with Him. Pentecost, even though it is a separate campmeeting, was tied to the first one because it symbolizes the results of spreading the True Passover message in the days of the early church.

The Memorial of Trumpets represents the long middle time in between the beginning and the end.

That brings us to the Day of Atonement which opens the final gathering. It cleanses the sanctuary and the people (Leviticus 16:16, 30). With sin ended and behind them, they are now prepared to blow the trumpets of Jubilee and start the joyous Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Both Adam and Moses reinforce this great truth.

The Day of Atonement has its own chapter filled with meticulous instruction that seems unnecessary and even overboard to the modern reader. Yet, we must remember the context in which all these ceremonies were given. After thousands of years of trying to get people to cooperate with the simple timeline, God now was dependent on a weak nation newly delivered from slavery and idolatry. Like children, they needed to be told every little action to be done so that the main points would not be lost over the generations to come.

Having said that, it seems probable that a simplified version of all of these feasts and ceremonies would have been given to the people before the flood had they been faithful. They would have been more spiritually mature and the head of each household would have been the priests instead of just the descendants of Aaron in Israel. The annual events in and of themselves are positive spiritual lessons that would have been easily adapted to the better conditions. They are not conditional on humanity, but are illustrations in action of God’s justice and mercy.

Preparations

“And the LORD spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron your brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.” (v1-5)

The bullock sacrificed for the high priest

“And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.” (v6-14)

The goat sacrificed for the people

“Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” (v15-19)

Scapegoat bears sin to the wilderness

“And when he has made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar. And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. And he that burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.” (v20-28)

Occurs on 10th day of 7th month

“And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that lives among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.” (v29-34)

Thus ends the entire chapter. The 16th chapter, along with the 23rd, is the complete set of instructions for the day of at-one-ment. Now let’s examine it.

What are the main points?

The high priest first needed to sacrifice for himself and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat inside the most holy place. He was the only person ever to enter that place and only on this day. He then sacrificed the Lord’s goat and also sprinkled that blood in the holy of holies. The scapegoat was not sacrificed. Instead, Israel’s sins were placed on him and he was led to the wilderness to die alone.

What are the criticisms?

Many Christians object to the scapegoat because they claim it is a savior and detracts from the lamb. They think the scapegoat is paying the price for Israel’s sins. However, it is only taking the blame for causing the sins that caused the Lamb to sacrifice His soul for us. A plain reading of the chapter tells us that the scapegoat is not in a saving role. Unlike all the lambs, goats, and calves sacrificed all year long and on this day, the scapegoat’s blood is never spilled. Its blood, in symbol or in reality, never enters the most holy place to make atonement. Only the blood of the Sacrifice points forward and goes forward to the holiest place to make a final and complete end of Israel’s sins.

The atheist objection is to the idea of sacrifice at all, which they call “scapegoating.” That is the idea that the sacrifice of any animal or person can relieve a transgressor of responsibility for their crimes. While the atheist can rightly accuse some Christian theologies of such a view, the Bible is clear that the sinner’s blood/soul is exchanged for the Lamb’s blood/soul. The guilt of the final penalty is removed, but responsibility to live a holy life and make reparations are injected into the sinner’s veins, as it were.

Why a special day?

There were sacrifices for atonement all year. What was so different about this day?

Leviticus 1-7 repeats this statement: “the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he has done.” All year long the sinner could find atonement with God through the blood of the lamb. All year long sinners were restored to communion with God.

On the Day of Atonement, figuratively speaking, sin itself was ended. The universe found final reclamation from evil and entered unblemished at-one-ment with its Creator. The Feast of Tabernacles, especially every 50 years at Jubilee, was a celebration of this future event.

The Day of Atonement finished the religious year. On that day the sacrifice represented by Passover finished its work of cleansing both people and sanctuary. The final blame and condemnation for sin was placed on the scapegoat (representing Satan) and sent to the wilderness. Thus, the completed cycle showed God’s plan for the final destruction of sin.

To end sin, there needs to be a last day to make the last sacrifice. Without the Day of Atonement, sin and sinners would go on forever. Forgiveness is only the first step of the solution to turn the transgressor around to walk the way of life and love. The events of the Day of Atonement acknowledge and celebrate the arrival at the destination of a restored universe.

It is important to note that the Day of Atonement was not a new sacrifice or another sacrifice. The slain animals were just continuations of the Passover Lamb which transferred sin from the people to the sanctuary to God through the priests. The new point of this feast was whether or not the people would afflict, or humble, themselves. Would they permit the blood of the Lamb to put an end to their sins or not? In other words, did the people want to see a final end to evil or not?

When the sanctuary was cleansed and its defiling sins placed on the scapegoat, it was closed from future business. Its purpose was accomplished. Its job was complete. The real Day of Atonement is the culmination and the fruit of the completed atonement on the cross. The cleansing of the sanctuary on this day justified the whole history of longsuffering effort, investment, and sacrifice on God’s part.

What is missing from Moses’ timeline?

Before moving on to the next timeline, we need to look back and compare what we already have. Moses’ timeline added details to the sacrifice and reclamation events on Adam’s timeline. Moses also added two new events: Pentecost and the Day of Atonement. Pentecost is a “power boost” after the sacrifice event to help God’s people advance their mission to the world. The Day of Atonement is a final cleansing/judgment/separation to usher in the reclamation event.

Notice that there is nothing representing a great tribulation, a millennium, 1260 days of persecution, an abomination of desolation that takes over the sanctuary or even a 2300 day time period leading to its cleansing. God never intended for conditions to get so bad for so long, so He never prophesied them until human choices made it necessary.

In our journey through prophecy in Biblical and chronological order, all we have so far are the books of Moses. All we have is the birth of Israel and its glorious destiny of world dominion through peace and righteousness. Oh, that they had stayed faithful!

At least four times the idea is repeated that the ancient Israelites were to afflict their souls on the Day of Atonement. This caught my attention and I had to study it deeper because surely there is a spiritual lesson in there. Indeed there is!

The word translated, afflict, is anah. It means to depress, abase, chasten, humble, and other similar meanings. In this context, since it is self-affliction and not externally imposed affliction, we could summarize it as intense and purposeful humility. On the last day of the temple being available to take sinners‘ sins from them, all were to humble themselves enough to make final checks for sinful habits and selfish attitudes they might still be cherishing. At the end of the day, the sanctuary, the high priest, and the people were to be clean. No one was to be so proud as to think themselves incapable of being dirty and having no need of cleansing.

This is a fitting attitude to have on the day when the jubilee trumpets were blown. It represented the last day before Jesus returns and who would dare be so arrogant as to think themselves not in need of His cleansing grace? So the day was one of double checking, of heart searching, of laying aside of every weight and the sin which so easily besets. (Hebrews 12:1)

But this raises the question, How does one avoid the errors of too much and too little? Some people think they must go back through their life and confess every little thing and dig up every little memory, even the forgotten ones. Others think that because they are a Christian all is taken care of and covered, so why be concerned?

The solution—as always—is to go through this process with your personal Savior.

David said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24) On the other hand, Paul said, “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Because both writers are correct, the solution is to search ourselves with Christ.

Rather than isolating yourself in dark anxiety and listening to the voices of hurtful humans in your past, step into the light, take Jesus‘ hand, and let Him guide you down the hallways of your heart. Let Him decide at each doorway which doors should be opened and which ones should be kept closed. The goal is not to clean up the past. It cannot be changed, but it has been forgiven. The goal of the Day of Atonement is to cleanse today, not yesterday nor tomorrow. Jesus knows where the dirt is and the best way to deal with it. Trust Him. Hide nothing. Listen to His Spirit speak to your heart and do exactly as He tells you, not too much nor too little. That is the only safe way.

God will end sin in the universe by His mighty power. He will end sin in your life by His gracious mercy and wise discernment. He will ask neither too little nor too much from you. In the place of your failures, He offers success. In the place of your selfishness, He offers the way of the cross. In the place of your evil and hurt, He offers the balm of Gilead that heals your mind, restores your respect, and ennobles your soul.

The Day of Atonement is your day to personally become at-one with Jesus.

At the time of Moses the plan was for the Son of God to come as a sacrifice, then there would be an extraordinary evangelistic outreach to the world. This would develop two sets of nations and people—humble followers of the Lamb versus followers of Satan. After the whole world was informed and invited, then there would come a day when the gospel work would close and then Christ would come with angels and trumpets to start the eternal kingdom. Sin and sinners would be no more.

Note: Much more could be written about the many details in the annual feasts, especially the Day of Atonement. However, the goal is simply to focus on the obvious meanings that help build the prophetic pattern. Daniel, and then Revelation, will bring us back here many times to make more connections.

And said, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you. (Exodus 15:26)

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you. (Exodus 31:2-6)

And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD has called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he has filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. And he has put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them has he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. (Exodus 35:30-35)

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, You shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. (Leviticus 19:2)

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do so in the land where you go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who has God so near unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that has statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

For you are a holy people unto the LORD your God: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, has the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God, he is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repays them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hates him, he will repay him to his face. You shall therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command you this day, to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if you listen to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD your God shall keep unto you the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto your fathers: And he will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your land, your corn, and your wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep, in the land which he sware unto your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, upon you but will lay them upon all them that hate you. (Deuteronomy 7:6-15)

All the commandments which I command you this day shall you observe to do, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled you and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live. Your clothes grew not old upon you neither did your foot swell, these forty years. You shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the LORD your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land in which you shall eat bread without scarceness, you shall not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you may dig brass. (Deuteronomy 8:1-9)

And it shall come to pass, if you shall listen diligently unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on you and overtake you if you shall listen unto the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep. Blessed shall be your basket and your store. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. The LORD shall cause your enemies that rise up against you to be struck before your face: they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand unto; and he shall bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you. The LORD shall establish you a holy people unto himself, as he has sworn unto you if you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of you. And the LORD shall make you plenteous in goods, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give you. The LORD shall open unto you his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto your land in his season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend unto many nations, and you shall not borrow. And the LORD shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if that you listen unto the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do them: And you shall not go aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

And the LORD your God will make you plenteous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers: If you shall listen unto the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if you turn unto the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 30:9-10)

Give the king your judgments, O God, and your righteousness unto the king’s son. He shall judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endures. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (Psalms 72:1-11)

So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory. When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. (Psalms 102:15-22)

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come you and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist and faithfulness the girdle of his waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice‘ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 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 an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall strike it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be a 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. (Isaiah 11:1-16)

And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that makes mention of it shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he has determined against it. In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border of it to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a savior and a great one, and he shall deliver them. And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. And the LORD shall strike Egypt: he shall strike and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance. (Isaiah 19:17-25)

In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. In that day sing you unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. (Isaiah 27:1-6)

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen you the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up on it, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:1-10)

Thus says the LORD, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto you and they shall be yours. They shall come after you, in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto you, they shall make supplication unto you saying, Surely God is in you and there is none else, there is no God. (Isaiah 45:14)

Your children shall hurry; your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth of you. Lift up your eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live, says the LORD, you shall surely clothe you with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on you as a bride does. For your waste and your desolate places, and the land of your destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed you up shall be far away. The children which you shall have, after you have lost the other, shall say again in your ears, The place is too small for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shall you say in your heart, Who has begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus says the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contends with you and I will save your children. (Isaiah 49:17-25)

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. (Isaiah 51:3)

Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keeps the sabbath from polluting it, and takes hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. The Lord GOD, which gathers the outcasts of Israel says, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. (Isaiah 56:6-8)

Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon you and his glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to you ,your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see, and flow together, and your heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto you, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto you. The multitude of camels shall cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto you the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto you they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD your God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you. And the sons of strangers shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister unto you for in my wrath I struck you but in my favor have I had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto you the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto you the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted you shall come bending unto you and all they that despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Because you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through you I will make you an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. You shall also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shall suck the breast of kings: and you shall know that I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make your officers peace, and your exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto you but the LORD shall be unto you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no more go down; neither shall your moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Your people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hurry it in his time. (Isaiah 60:1-22)

For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness of it go forth as brightness, and the salvation of it as a lamp that burns. And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall your land any more be termed Desolate: but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah: for the LORD delights in you and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: you that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, until he establish, and until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. The LORD has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give your corn to be food for your enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink your wine, for the which you have labored. But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. Go through, go through the gates; prepare you the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the LORD has proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say you to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and you shall be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. (Isaiah 62:1-12)

O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto you from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things in which there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD. (Jeremiah 16:19-21)

And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I bring unto it. (Jeremiah 33:9)

For thus says the LORD of hosts; After the glory has he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touches you touches the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake my hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you says the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of you and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me unto you. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. (Zechariah 2:8-12)

Thus says the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. (Zechariah 8:20-23)

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, How have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightsome land, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-12)