Repatriation: the act or process of restoring or returning someone or something to the country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship: the act of repatriating or the state of being repatriated.
Cite: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repatriation
The Sheep and Goat Judgment:
In Matthew 25:31-46, we see all the Gentile nations who survived the horrors, devastation, and slaughter of Daniel’s 70th week, aka the seven-year tribulation period, gathered together to Jerusalem to stand before Messiah King Jesus who will judge and reward them, or judge and punish them.
The reader should give particular note to Matthew 25:32: “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.”
In this Matthew 25 passage, we see all the surviving Gentile nations or Gentile ethnic groups literally gathered to Jerusalem, but nowhere in this passage or in scripture do we see the process by which these surviving Gentile sheep nations are repatriated to the geographical territories from which they were initially gathered.
My Questions:
My question to you, the reader: When does the repatriation of the surviving righteous nations (the sheep) happen? Or does a systematic, planned, and deliberate repatriation even take place?
Scripture is clear in other Biblical passages: the surviving righteous sheep nations are returned to their general geographical territories of origin. Let me say that another way: the sheep nations are returned to some type of geographical territory. But when and how does it happen?
Here’s What I Think Happens:
My conjecture and speculation: there is not a systematic repatriation but a slow outward migration over time. As it was in the days of Noah. The days of Noah after the flood.
Recall that Noah lived some 350 years longer after the flood. As Noah’s family and descendants grew more numerous, and in obedience to the command of our Most High God, the Lord Jesus, they spread out over the face of the earth and were fruitful and multiplied. A slow outward migration as the time was right.
After the righteous sheep are judged and rewarded, they remain in the presence and the locale of King Jesus for a while.
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: …’”
This verse reflects the Gentile sheep nations inheriting the Kingdom, not specifically a land mass, but they inherit entrance to the one-thousand-year Kingdom of King Jesus.
The Much Larger Greater Israel:
I think King Jesus allows these righteous sheep nations to dwell with Him for a time in the Prince’s Portion of the new, much larger Greater Israel; you know, that huge land mass referenced in Genesis 15:18 and other verses that will extend from the river of Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea on the western border to the great River Euphrates for its eastern border. This Greater Israel is many times larger than the current state of Israel.
You can find pictures of this Greater Israel in Dr. Andy Woods’ Revelation series, Episode 25, God’s Faithfulness, Revelation 7:1-8, dated January 6, 2019. You will find these pictures/maps at the 56:15-minute marker to the 58:34 time marker of this online presentation. Dr. Woods presents two slightly different illustrations of the divided land in the Kingdom. But do take note of the section in each illustration marked as Christ’s Portion or the Prince’s Portion. I’ve linked the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JFfbPtK4Tc&t=3375s.
Now, be careful! Don’t get caught up in Dr. Woods’ excellent lesson. I’m only emphasizing these two illustrations of the divided land in the millennial Kingdom.
You may also find a picture of this Greater Israel cited as The Division of the Land in Millennium in the book by Dr. Tim LaHaye and Dr. Thomas Ice: Charting the End Times, 2001 edition, page 95.
As a side note: the nation of Israel is the only surviving nation that enters into the millennial Kingdom of Messiah King Jesus that is specifically promised and inherits a specific land mass: Greater Israel.
So What’s The Point:
The point being: Christ’s Portion or the Prince’s Portion of the future divided Greater Israel is more than adequate in size for these righteous Gentile sheep nations to dwell and reside with Him for a time.
Time To Heal and Recover:
I think these righteous Gentile nations are not systematically immediately or deliberately repatriated to their geographical territories of origin or any other geographical territory, for that matter, because they need time to heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually from the horrific events that deeply traumatized them throughout Daniel’s 70thweek, aka the seven-year tribulation period.
There is no better place to heal and recover than in the literal physical presence of Messiah King Jesus.
Additionally, I think this time in the presence of King Jesus is also a time of instruction and learning for these righteous Gentile sheep nations, these nations who came to faith during the horrors and devastations of Daniel’s 70th week, aka the seven-year tribulation period.
Up until this time, these Gentile sheep nations that enter the millennial Kingdom of King Jesus have very much lacked formal education and Bible study regarding the person and work of Messiah King Jesus. Indeed, much of their time during the tribulation period was focused on staying alive. These righteous Gentile sheep nations need time to learn His ways.
Another Reason for No Repatriation:
Those geographic territories from which all the Gentile nations were gathered, especially the righteous sheep nations, are not yet ready to receive any human populations.
Just as we see in Ezekiel 36 and 37, the land of Israel had lain dormant and desolate for centuries, but we also see in scripture that our Most High God, Messiah King Jesus, supernaturally prepares the land in advance for His elect, special, treasured, heritage Jewish people. He also prepared his people to return to the land of Israel as a result of the holocaust and the horrors the Jewish people suffered in the World War II era.
Initially, the geographical territories at the beginning of the millennial Kingdom with their innumerable corresponding animal kinds have suffered great and huge and mega damage and destruction: all seas turned to blood, all freshwater turned to blood, and all seawater and freshwater creatures died. All environments, ecological systems, and the animal kingdom were ripped apart by huge mega earthquakes, floods, pestilences, famines, wars, fires, and so much more.
These righteous Gentile sheep nations must remain in the presence of King Jesus where He will sufficiently provide for them and sustain them for a season, while the farthest reaches of the earth’s geographical territories recover, heal, and are replenished under the watchful and supernatural care of Messiah King Jesus.
As geographical territories become ready to receive human populations, the righteous Gentile sheep nations will begin their outward migration. And just perhaps, Messiah King Jesus will begin to deliberately repatriate these righteous Gentile sheep nations to some geographic territory. Maybe to the geographical territories that historically these nations populated or some other territory.
But King Jesus does not need to say anything at all. As it was in the days of Noah after the flood: fill the earth, be fruitful, and multiply. That command stands firm for all generations. The righteous Gentile sheep nations will fully understand and eagerly desire the enormous blessing that flows from voluntary, willful, and joyful obedience.
Scripture indicates these righteous sheep nations will likely retain their ethnic identities, but scripture does not indicate where these sheep nations actually settle. We assume the historical, geographical territories from which they were initially gathered, but maybe not; forces and events have radically changed the geography of the face of the earth … as it was in the days of Noah during the flood and post-flood.
More Land Than Historically Allocated:
In Matthew 24:22, We learn: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Humankind has traversed a period of existential threat. In comparison to the eight billion people that populate the earth today, seven and a half billion plus were likely slaughtered by the horrors, devastation, and destruction of the tribulation period. In comparison, humankind is near the point of total annihilation when the Lord Jesus cuts the days of the tribulation short for the sake of His elect Jewish people. There are just not that many humans still alive by the end of the tribulation period.
In earlier scriptures, I directed your attention to the sheep and goat judgment of Matthew 25. Recall that the sheep are the righteous Gentile nations, but what of the goats, the unrighteous Gentile nations?
Matthew 25:41: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand [the goats], ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: …” These cursed goat nations are literally and physically taken out. Perhaps they are cast bodily into the Lake of Fire. Perhaps they are physically slaughtered and their bodies cast upon a heap, where the birds of carrion gather (Matthew 24:28). The key point is: the unrighteous, cursed Gentile goat nations do not survive to enter the millennial Kingdom of King Jesus.
In Revelation 21:24, “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” What about the nations that are not saved? Not all nations will survive the destruction and the devastation of the tribulation period or survive the sheep and goat judgment.
As the righteous sheep nations migrate to their historic territories or settle in new territories, these territories have changed geographically and topographically to some degree, and since there are fewer nations to inherit the land masses, chances are high that the righteous sheep nations will inherit larger territories than they historically populated.
Terraforming The Earth:
I think the events of Daniel’s 70th week, aka the seven-year tribulation, were a process that our Most High God used to terraform the earth in incredible ways. We’re told in Revelation 16 that the islands fled away, and the mountains were not found. Revelation 16 also tells us that cities of the nations literally fell.
Take some time to ponder and consider that concept. An earthquake so huge to collapse cities and mountains and swallow the islands is wreaking much more havoc across the globe than just to the islands, mountains, and cities.
The cities collapsed along with the mountains. The islands were likely consumed into the plates of the earth’s crust. The earth’s crust is totally and radically altered, as is most that sit on the earth’s crust … like the global flood of Noah’s day … global havoc, devastation, and terraforming are the order of the day.
I think at the time all Gentile nations are supernaturally gathered to Jerusalem for the sheep and goat judgment, the terraforming process is still an ongoing phenomenon that is beginning to subside. Under the Lord’s hand, the earth is falling into a new equilibrium and stability.
In Matthew 24: 29 we read: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days …” Those events that were bringing active destruction and devastation upon the earth have come to an end, but the earth and its surviving, comparatively miniscule human population are still reeling with the aftermath of a radically terraformed and transformed earth.
The Sheep Nations Are Better Served:
The righteous Gentile sheep nations are better served to reside safely within the Prince’s Portion for a season while the farthest reaches of the earth’s geographical territories are finding new, stable, and sustainable rhythms that will provide for human needs in a marvelous manner, similar to Eden and the garden of Eden in the beginning.
Appendix – Food for Thought – The Days of Noah:
I think we believers typically take a short-sighted view when we consider the phrase: “As it was in the days of Noah.”
Our brains default to the conditions and the wicked human behavior that brought the flood and the judgment and the wrath of our Most High God on humankind. Sure, that season is primary to the story of Noah.
In reality, we should fully consider the days of Noah before the flood, the days of Noah during the flood, and the days of Noah after the flood.
Recall that Noah lived another 350 years after the flood. Those many years were also the days of Noah. When one really considers this 350-year period, there was a lot going on in the post-flood days of Noah, too.
We believers have become so fixated on the flood and its immediate aftermath that we have missed other important truths of this time frame. We miss the patterns and types. We overlook important facts, especially when we compare all the days of Noah to the days of Messiah King Jesus when He returns, and when He sits on His glorious throne, and when He initiates many actions to literally build His physical and spiritual millennial Kingdom and all its elements.
We read in Matthew 24:37, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
This sentence really encompasses so much more than what Messiah King Jesus was merely emphasizing in the Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 passages.
Don’t limit your thinking to only the slaughter and the judgment and the wrath Messiah King Jesus will bring upon the unbelieving world at His second coming. Step back and take another look at the days of Noah. See the bigger picture. Assuredly, the Lord Jesus has told us so much more if we have the eyes and the minds to see it and understand it.
Maranatha! Our Lord, come!
John Chandler
Email: jray810@msn.com
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