THE KINGDOM COVENANT
This is called the "Covenant of Peace" which will be made with the whole nation of Israel, both the House of Israel who are at present in dispersion among the nations and not identifiable as such; and the House of Judah, who are identified as "Jews" among the nations, a small minority of which have returned to the land. This is separate to, and different from the covenant made with the "elect" who will be raised in the first resurrection and have their inheritance ruling and reigning with Him from Zion in the New Jerusalem. This is a covenant which will be made with the whole nation after they each return to the land and come to repentance for their past sins and for the House of Judah (Jews), the rejection of Y'shua as their Messiah.
The prophets of old, beginning with Moses, spoke of the judgment which Yahweh decreed that would come upon them as corrective punishment for their national sins and also of their restitution in the end-times, in the "latter days", and, that He would remember the covenant which He had made with the patriarchs when they turned to Him with all their hearts and obeyed Him. Leviticus 26:40-42; Deuteronomy 4:29-30; 31:16-18, 29
Because the nation became divided into two kingdoms after the death of King Solomon, each of these kingdoms reaped separate judgments according to the extent of their backsliding and idolatry.
The two kingdoms became known as the northern and southern kingdom, the northern comprising the ten tribes under the headship of the tribe of Ephraim and some Levitical priests, and the southern being mostly the tribe of Judah and Benjamin with a dispersion of Simeonites and Levites among them.
The northern kingdom of the House of Ephraim, also called the House of Israel, proceeded to set up idolatrous worship immediately after the separation, from which they never repented. For this, Yahweh finally divorced them and they were taken away captive by the Assyrians and from there, over time, they were dispersed throughout all the nations of the earth (Hosea 7: 8; 8: 8; 9:17).
The southern kingdom of the House of Judah, was sent into exile the first time by being taken captive to Babylon for seventy specific years. The prophet Jeremiah, was specifically raised up to warn the nation of their impending judgment and to decree what would follow if they did not repent. The second judgment of the House of Judah came when they rejected the Messiahship of Y'shua in 70AD, the measure of which increased in 135AD when they proclaimed Bar Kockba as their Messiah.
From that time until 1948AD there has not been a national presence of the people in the land and up to this present time, the nation as it exists today is not in covenant relationship with Yahweh God.
It is a known fact among the present-day Jewish rabbis, that the House of Ephraim which are known to them as the "lost ten tribes", will return in the end-time and be restored for the kingdom reign of Messiah.
THE RETURN TO THE LAND
Part of the prophesied restoration, is a return to the land. The prophets all speak of this glorious return.
"I will sow them among the peoples, and they will remember Me in far countries; they shall live (receive eternal life), together with their children, and they shall return." Zechariah 10: 6, 8-9
"Behold the days are coming, says Yahweh, that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says Yahweh, I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it." Jeremiah 30: 3
"Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, "Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the House of Israel in it's entirety, .. .. .. .." (i.e. both Houses) Therefore say, Thus says Yahweh God: I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel." Ezekiel 11:14, 17
Yahweh God speaks to the different spiritual condition of each of them, promising restoration.
"He will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (House of Israel had been cast out from God's Presence, whereas Judah was just dispersed) Isaiah 11:11-12
"I will strengthen the House of Judah (spiritually), and I will save the House of Joseph (Joseph stands as head of the House of Ephraim who is unsaved among the nations). I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them.
"I will (whistle, call) signal for them and gather them in. For I will redeem them; and they shall increase as they once increased (come into divine favour)" Zechariah 10: 6-8
"Yahweh God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, Yet will I gather to him others beside those who are gathered to him" (some from the nations to be included in the salvation of the House of Israel) Isaiah 56: 8; 14: 1
This is a sovereign call of the nation to come back to the land, just as the House of Judah was called back after the Babylonian captivity, so will it be done again, by a divine decree and specific provision for them. Yahweh God raised up Cyrus at that time, a heathen monarch, and he financed their return and the restoration of the temple and of the city of Jerusalem (2 Chr.36:22-23; Isaiah 44:28; Ezra 1: 1-8; 3: 7; 6: 3-5).
That first time was from Babylon, the next time, will be from out of all the nations where they were scattered after the dispersion in 70AD (Isaiah 60: 6-11). The scripture speaks of this as a second exodus. "It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from .. .. .. .. (all the places where they have been scattered) Isaiah 11:11
"Therefore behold the days are coming, says Yahweh, when it will no more be said, Yahweh lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but, Yahweh lives who brought up the children from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them' For I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers. Jeremiah 16:14-15 -- See Ezekiel 20:33-36
The scripture speaks of them being taken into a wilderness place, similar to the first exodus, being purified and being brought "into the bond of the covenant", and them returning as a redeemed people to the land.
“And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples and there will plead with you there face to face (as in Moses’ day). “As I did plead with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, yes will plead with you, says the Lord God. “And I will bring you under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the Covenant.” “And I will purge from among you the rebels and those who transgress against Me and they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh” Ezekiel 20:35-38
It will be a ransomed remnant that will return who are in covenant relationship with their God, walking in His ways. "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called a highway of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it," "And the ransomed of Yahweh shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads." -- "a remnant will return" Isaiah 35: 8a, 10a; 10:20-23; 59:20
Part of the restoration in the land will be the joining of the two Houses of Israel into one.
"Thus says the Lord God: Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again." Ezekiel 37:21-22
Ezekiel prophesied a spiritual quickening of the "whole house of Israel" (37:11-14), after which there would be a joining of the "stick of Judah" to the "stick of Ephraim" to "make them one stick in My hand" (Ez. 37:19)
THE PROMISES OF THE COVENANT
This covenant is called a "covenant of peace". The promises in it are a reassurance of the reversal of the curses which have been upon them as a nation for their disobedience, as outlined in Leviticus 26.
"I will" : cause the wild beasts to cease out of the land Lev.26:22
- cause them to dwell safely without fear :36-37
- cause the showers to come down in their season :19
- cause the earth to yield it's increase :20,26
- release them from oppression :25,27-33
- deliver them from their enemies :17,25
- deliver them from famine and sickness :16, 22,32-3 (Ez.34:25-31)
"Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God and they shall be My people. The nations shall know that I, Yahweh, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." Ezekiel 37:26-28
This is an everlasting covenant in the land promised to the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Amos 9:14-15), and will include all the territory which had been originally promised to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1: 7-8; 11:24).
They are promised that they will nevermore be uprooted from the land, neither will they again experience war, but that they will have complete rest from their enemies after He has corrected them, and they will be able to "dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards" after He has executed judgment on the nations around them who have despised them. (Ez. 28: 25-26; also Jeremiah 46:27b-28; Isaiah 32:17-18; 66:21-24)
"In that day I will make a covenant of peace for them .. (with the beasts, birds & creeping things) "bow and battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely" Hosea 2:18
My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says Yahweh, who has mercy on you." Isaiah 54:10b
This will be the fulfillment of the promise which Paul quoted when all Israel would be grafted back into the "olive tree" again and be saved (Romans 11:23, 26).
"The Deliverer will come from Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." Romans 11:26-27
THE COVENANT OF PEACE
The covenant will be established after Y'shua returns to set up His government of the earth from Jerusalem and reign over it with the resurrected saints for the 1,000 year millennial period.
Those in the first resurrection will rule with Him from Zion, the place of His holy temple, together with the nation of Israel fulfilling it's priestly function of being a light to the nations of the earth (Isaiah 60: 1-3). Their commission is to bring all things into subjection to the Father through Y'shua, the Messiah, so that the earth will become filled with His glory and everything will be able to be restored to it's original condition before the fall of Adam in the Garden in preparation for the new heaven and earth (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).
To Ezekiel was given the specification for the temple and it's services as well as the allotment of land and their borders for the twelve tribes during the millennial reign (Ezekiel chs. 40-48).
A modified pattern of Levitical priesthood will be practiced by the lineage of Zadok (Ezekiel 44:15-31) and none that are uncircumcised will be allowed to come into His sanctuary (44: 9).
The nations of the earth will be taught to observe the laws, statutes and commandments of Yahweh God and those who obey will come under the blessings of Israel (Isaiah 66:23; Zechariah 14:16-19).