A most remarkable prophetic description of, the state of the children of Israel during the past approximately 1900 years is found in Hos. 3:4: "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim." Since the day of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A. D., they have been in this condition with nothing outwardly to bind them together; yet they have remained a separate and distinct people with characteristic Jewish hopes and aspirations.
They have had neither king nor prince; that is, neither a duly anointed king, nor a ruler that might be described by the word "prince." Thus all Jewish civil polity was gone. And all religious or sacred institutions were likewise missing, for they have had neither sacrifice nor priesthood, which is represented by the "ephod"—a part of priestly attire. Their temple was destroyed and all their sacrifices came to an end; neither have they genealogies to prove the right to priesthood by any.
Another remarkable point in this prophecy is that they were to remain without "teraphim" which was used in worship of idols (see Judg. 17). Before the Babylonian captivity they had been idolaters, but after the remnant returned in Ezra's and Nehemiah's days, they did not go back into idolatry, and have not to this day. The fact is also referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matt. 12:43 as the unclean spirit (of idolatry)
having gone out of the man (Israel). But, alas, He said it will yet return in a more depraved and diabolical form.
Could any man looking back over the past 2,000 years write a clearer, more concise history of that people than the Spirit of God gave prophetically almost 3,000 years ago?
But what are we to think now that we see Israel as a nation once more in their land? They still have no temple, no sacrifice, and no priesthood; they still do not possess Jerusalem, but they again have a civil government and a duly elected "president." They went to Jerusalem to inaugurate their president to indicate their claim to that city (and then retired to Tel Aviv), and they have plans to restore their "past glories." The celebration at their opening ceremony included the blowing with the rams' horns which were used so prominently in their first entrance into the Land of Canaan at the conquest of Jericho (Josh. 6); and their new money system is to be based on the familiar "shekels" and "gerahs." Clearly they intend to restore Israel as in days of old. But has the time come for the fulfillment of the next verse in Hos. 3?—"Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days." No, not yet. The fifth verse will be fulfilled just as surely as the fourth has been for approximately 1900 years, but something else must precede the seeking of Jehovah their God.
Other scriptures let us know that they will go back to their land in unbelief; will be backed by the revived Roman Empire; will build a temple and re-establish a form of religious observance;
will accept as their king one of their number who will claim to be the long-promised Messiah, but will be in reality the "false prophet" and "antichrist." This false king will betray them, and will be in league with the Roman Empire's wicked head who will stop the sacrifice and enforce open and glaring idolatry (Dan. 9:27; 11:36-39). Then our Lord's words as to the return of the unclean spirit will be fulfilled (Matt. 12:45). All this is to precede the coming of the Son of man to execute judgment and reign, and the return of the remnant to "Jehovah their God, and David their king" (or the Messiah).
But the events that have already taken place in Palestine are of startling significance and should not be forgotten as just a piece of yesterday's news. Clearly, the "many days" of Hos. 3:4 are about up; they have about run their allotted course. Israel is already in the land, with a recognized government, and are re-establishing the old traditions and customs. Soon they will be talking about a temple, and acting too. And while they will not get complete control of the city of Jerusalem until the Lord gives it to them, they will receive some rights there and have a temple. There are some things that we cannot speak so definitely about, but where Scripture speaks, so can we.
But, Christians, are we all aware of this great change that has taken place? And do we understand its significance? Has it laid hold of our being that we are at the very end of this age? The Lord rebuked the Jews of His day with this remark: "How is it that ye do not discern this time?" Luke 12:56. They should have known from the Scriptures what time it was when He was here; and should we fail to see the signs of the running out of the "many days" of Israel's dispersion? Well might the poet say:
"Those gloomy years have rolled away, The years of Israel's mourning."
Just ahead now is the time of their greatest idolatry and wickedness, and terrible judgments; then an elect remnant of them will return and "seek Jehovah their God, and David their king."
We are not told that we should see all that has now taken place before the coming of the Lord for us, but there it is, unfolded before our eyes. Soon, very soon, the Morning Star will appear! "Let us watch and be sober." 1 Thess. 5:6.