THE GATHERING

 

Israel’s exodus from Egypt was epic. So momentous and powerful was it that it has been remembered as an unparalleled act of God’s power to this day but something much bigger is yet to happen to show the mankind who is in control of this project we call ‘earth’.

Subsequent Prophets to Moses both in the Near East and the Americas spoke often of the Exodus to keep this momentous deliverance of Israel fresh in people’s minds. They used the event as remembrance of Jehovah’s power and His mercy toward the covenant people. I am reminded of Nephi bringing Moses to his brothers’ remembrance when faced with the challenge of recovering the brass plates from Laban (1 Nephi 4:2,3).

Besides the Exodus, another sensational and dramatic example of Jehovah’s deliverance is found in the book of Daniel. I was reading the other day of Daniel’s prayer for forgiveness on behalf of the exiles in Babylon and I was enthralled with the beauty of his words through which he acknowledged Jehovah’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Daniel 9:15).

And herein is the beauty of it all. Daniel prayed because he knew that God would deliver the exiles from Babylon too and he knew it because of Isaiah’s prophecy (2 Chr 36:22-23; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1).

It is suggested by historians that when Cyrus conquered Babylon, he found Daniel there in his governmental capacity,  and that Daniel  pointed out to him the prophecy of Isaiah that was given 140 years before the fall of Jerusalem, that the Lord would raise up a mighty king who would free the Jewish captives in Babylon and allow them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the holy city. Isaiah even named Cyrus by name.....180 years before he even appeared in Babylon.

Astonishing isn't it? It certainly was to Cyrus because he sent out the proclamation amongst the Jews in Babylon that ‘the Lord God of heaven….had charged [him] to build Him a house in Jerusalem’ (Ezra 1:2) and asked who among all of God’s people wanted to return home. He actually offered freedom to anyone who wanted it. Proof that God always accomplishes His purposes in miraculous ways because nothing is beyond His power. It was no parting of the Red Sea but think about it…a Persian king liberating the Jews….just for some perspective - ancient Persia is modern day Iran.

In our day, the Lord will perform another miracle of restoring those that are lost. As early as 1831 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the translated Apostle John was fulfilling a mission among the Ten Tribes preparing them for their journey to Zion (“Essentials in Church History, p 126).

This will be an event of enormous proportions, greater than the dividing of the Red Sea. So much so that ‘the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence…’ (D&C 133:31-33). 'The boundaries of the everlasting hills' being North America (Orson Pratt, in “Journal of Discourses”, 18:167-68; see also Genesis 49:26).

So great will this event be that ‘it will no longer be said “The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands whither he had driven them…” (Jeremiah 16:14,15) because “this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel …”  who proclaims:

“I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.” (D&C 133: 34; 136:22)

We will come to Zion

With songs of everlasting joy

To worship our Lord and our King

And to Him forever our praises we will sing. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joyful by Graphic Arts Design)

WHAT WAS LOST IS FOUND

 

The imagery Isaiah used to describe the splendor of the gathering of the House of Israel in latter days is stunning. Picture if you will lambs whose “pastures shall be in all high places, who shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them” (1 Nephi 21:9,10). Isaiah says we shall be led from the four corners of the earth for the God of Israel who had once been rejected shall have mercy on the offspring of them who rejected Him. He expresses the proof of that mercy by saying it is more likely that a nursing woman would forget her child before He forgets His covenant children (v 15).

So great will this gathering be that the House of Israel will far exceed the children it once had. They will be brought to Zion by the Gentiles who will establish a standard for God’s people, meaning the restored Church (v 22). Yet again the imagery of children being carried in their arms and daughters carried upon their shoulders is overwhelmingly endearing and suggestive of Jehovah’s spiritually begotten children whose importance shall far exceed that of the kings and queens of the earth who will ‘bow down to Israel’s covenant children and lick up the dust of their feet’ (v 23). Such a global event this will be that ‘all flesh shall know that He is our Saviour and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob’ (v 26).

The gathering of Israel is yet in its infancy. That which is yet to come will be a global event to behold. When the main body of the Ten Lost Tribes return, who are now hidden from us, they alone will affect a migration of gigantic proportions (D&C 133:26-34). It will be of greater magnitude than the diving of the Red Sea in the days of Israel’s Exodus. The massive miracle of the Exodus will be forgotten compared to the Ten Lost Tribes’ return. In awe, we will no longer say, “The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the North” (Jeremiah 16:14-15). So great will this migration be that the ‘boundaries of the everlasting hills (North America) shall tremble at their presence. The Lost Tribes will come to be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim’ (D&C 133:31,32). We will then come to Zion singing songs of everlasting joy (D&C 101:18). We will kiss them and rejoice that what was lost is found.

But even this is not all. Ín Jeremiah’s words: “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." (Jeremiah 16:14-16). Right now we are just ‘fishing’ through the missionary work, but after the return of the Ten Lost Tribes and before the Lord comes, there will be 144,000 high priests appointed, 12,000 from each tribe who will be ordained and receive power to ‘hunt’ out the House of Israel, wherever they are scattered, to be brought to Zion (D&C 77:11,18; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 16:325; 18:25). Not one, with the ‘believing blood of Israel’ coursing through their veins will be overlooked.

The Holy One of Israel will gather His own… He is our Shepherd who will feed us in green pastures and assuage our thirst with living waters, who will lead us to rest in the shadow of His mighty wings…..our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jehovah the king of heaven and earth……‘for the mighty God shall deliver His covenant people’ (v 24a JST). 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Yongsung Kim)