(Jeremiah 23:3-7a) “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.
6 “In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The Lord our righteousness.’
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.
6 “In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The Lord our righteousness.’
7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord...
These verses are talking about what will happen in the Millennium. But Jesus, the righteous Branch, has already been presented to the Israelites. These are Jesus' words spoken to the Israelites at His first coming to earth...
(John 15:1-4) I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me..."
Of course, because the Israelites rejected their King the first time He came to earth, they now have to wait for Jesus' second coming. Interestingly, God set up the scenario for them to accept Jesus the first time. God even had the Israelites return to their own land...
(Luke 2:1-30 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
THEN - because of this decree, everyone in the entire world had to go to their place of origin. This made it possible for this prophecy to happen...
(Jeremiah 31:15) Thus says the Lord,
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more.”
This was fulfilled about two years after Jesus had been born...
(Matthew 2:16-18) ...when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”
(Jeremiah 31:17) “There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory..."
And again, Jeremiah gives a prophecy that has two levels to it...
(Jeremiah 31:31-34) “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
This prophecy speaks of Jesus' salvation to the Israelites as a nation. After the rapture of all believers (including those Israelites who are Christians), those remaining in the Tribulation will see the "signs" (the judgments described in Revelation) and know that their Messiah will be coming (at the end of the Tribulation). Those Israelites will become believers. There will be other people from other nations becoming believers during that time. Then at the second coming of Jesus, He will take all believers into the Millennium.
This prophecy also speaks of Jesus' salvation that is available to everyone right NOW. And take it to heart that when God forgives our sins - He chooses to remember them no more. Anyone who believes in Jesus will NEVER perish... meaning - we cannot lose our salvation. So when we read these analogies about branches being cut off - this is talking about the people who are just going through the motions... the religious people who are not really Christians. Believing in God means that we are trusting in God fully - and His work on the cross to save us from our sins. When we become a Christian, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit! We are transformed from the inside out! And we desire to follow and obey! We abide in God and His word. Let us (as true branches) abide in Jesus - the true vine - and according to the analogy that Paul uses below in Romans 11, let us abide in Jesus - the root of the (holy) olive tree. The following scripture sums everything up so wonderfully...
(Romans 11:7-24) What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs forever.”
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs forever.”
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
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