God has an eternal love and desire for Israel as demonstrated through many metaphors in the Bible. God is jealous for and longs for Israel, seeing the nation as his wife that he will one day restore. While Israel was unfaithful, God promises to redeem Israel and bring them back to the land to fulfill his covenant and for Israel to prosper again in the future.

1. God’s Love For Israel That Love is Eternal!

2. God’s Jealous For Her Zech. 8:2-3, “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.” This is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem.” (See Zech. 1:14.) Joel 2:18, “Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.”

3. God Longs For Her Matt. 23:37-38, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together , as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord .”

4. His Desire For Her Isa. 43:21+24b, “ the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise … But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.”

5. The Adulterous Wife Ezek. 16:32+60, “ You adulterous wife ! You prefer strangers to your own husband! Every prostitute receives a fee, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for you illicit favors.. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.”

6. The Distressed Bride Isa. 54:5-8, “ For your Maker is your husband-the Lord Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth . The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit- a wife who married young, only to be rejected…For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.”

7. The Barren Woman Gal. 4:24-25 as a comparison of Sarah and Hagar : “for the women represents two covenants . One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves : This is Hagar . Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem , because she is in slavery with her children.”

8. Daughter of Zion’s Cry Jer. 4:31, “I hear a cry as of a woman in labor , a groan as of one bearing her first child- the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath… and saying, ‘Alas! I am fainting.’” (See Jer. 6:23.) Ps. 9:19, “O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion .” Isa. 52:2b-3, “Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion …You were sold for nothing… you will be redeemed .”

9. Daughter of Zion’s Answer Zech. 2:10-11, “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion . For I am coming and I will live among you , declares the Lord. Many nations will be jointed with the Lord in that day.” Zeph. 3:14, “Sing, O Daughter of Zion ; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice” Isa. 12:6, “Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion , for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

10. The Bride’s Return Jer. 3:14-17, “ Return, faithless people , declares the Lord, declares the Lord, for I am your husband …At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord.” Hosea 2:19, “ I will betroth you to me forever …you will acknowledge the Lord .”

11. The Fruitful Bride Gal. 4:27, “But the Jerusalem that is above is free , and is our mother. For it is written: ‘Be glad, O barren woman , who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud , you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Complete fulfillment for Jewish children after the 2 nd coming and repopulation.

12. Fruitful Israel-OT Isa. 54:1+3, “Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor ; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband… your descendants will dispossess the nations and settle in their desolate cities.” Isa. 27:6+13, “In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill the earth with fruit…will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.”

13. Jewish Sons Return Isa. 49:17-18, “ Your sons hasten back , those who laid you waste depart from you. Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you . As surely as I live, declares the Lord, you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.” Isa. 14:1, “The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.”

14. Repopulation Zech. 10:8, “I will signal for them and gather them in . Surely I will redeem them ; they will be as numerous as before. (This implies repopulation after 2 nd coming, that is separate from the eternal state.) Jer. 33:16+22, “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety …I will make the descendants of David …as countless as the stars ”.

15. God Did Not Reject Rom. 11:2,5,+11-12 “ God did not reject his people , whom he foreknew …So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace…Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery ? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious… how much greater riches will their fullness bring !”

16. God’s Desire Fulfilled Isa. 55:11, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire ” (In the setting of the second coming.) Matt. 5:18b, “until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter , not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”