Prophecies of Israel's Resettlement in Northwestern Europe
Many biblical scholars consider Amos, a prophet from Tekoa in northern
Judah, to be the first to warn of the impending exile of "the remnant of
Joseph" (Amos 5:15). But Amos also told Israel it would not be entirely
lost from God's view. "'Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on
the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it [the kingdom of Israel] from
the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of
Jacob,' says the Lord. 'For surely I will command, and will sift
the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve;
yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground'" (Amos 9:8-9).
The Israelites would indeed be sifted among other nations. They first
would be compelled to join scores of other ethnic groups in a cruel exodus
from their homeland. Where would they be forced to go? "For the Lord will
strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel
from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter
them beyond the Euphrates River..." (1 Kings 14:15, NASB)-a
river to their north.
These prophecies show that the exiled Israelites would be unable to remain
in one cohesive group. They would scatter-break up into smaller units-and
have to share their land of exile with other peoples.
In other passages the prophets reveal that these Israelites would eventually
find themselves in a new location to the north and west of the Promised
Land, from which they faced imminent eviction. It is from this direction
they will return to their homeland in the Middle East after Christ's return.
