It says "out of all countries", therefore this has to mean after 70 a.D. where they were scattered into all nations.
Who constitutes Israel post-70 AD? The Church, no? She is the true Israel.
I distinguish, the Church is the continuation of the Ecclesia of the OT, I concede. They are the carnal descendants of the 12 tribes I deny. Spiritually speaking we can truly say the Church is the true Israel. Pius XI beautifully said “We Catholics are spiritually Semites”
Prophesies talking about the restoration of Israel deal with their future conversion and now with the Catholic Church.
From the Douay commentary on the text just before the one cited:
[15] "Nor lose thy nation any more"... This whole promise principally relates to the church of Christ, and God's perpetual protection of her: for as to the carnal Jews, they have been removed out of their land these sixteen hundred years.
This is from a simple Bible. There are others which would give more info, but I no longer possess them.
As an aside, there are several authors who apply this to the future conversion of Israel…
So if the whole promise relates to the Church could you explain?
a) 8 But as for you, O mountains of Israel, shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel: for they are at hand to come.
Where did the Church go/will go in order to come back? Which land is that?
b) 10 And I will multiply men upon you, and all the house of Israel: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruinous places shall be repaired. 11 And I will make you abound with men and with beasts: and they shall be multiplied, and increased: and I will settle you as from the beginning, and will give you greater gifts, than you had from the beginning: and you shall know that I am the Lord.
So if Israel (the Church) will know that God is God that means it will be a time when the Church won´t recognize Him. How do you reconcile this with the infallibility?
16 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it with their ways, and with their doings: their way was before me like the uncleanness of a menstruous woman. 18 And I poured out my indignation upon them for the blood which they had shed upon the land, and with their idols they defiled it. 19 And I scattered them among the nations, and they are dispersed through the countries: I have judged them according to their ways, and their devices. 20 And when they entered among the nations whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when it was said of them: This is the people of the Lord, and they have come forth out of his land. 21 And I have regarded my own holy name, which the house of Israel has profaned among the nations to which they went in.
So, will God chastise the Church scattering her among the nations and dispersing her through the countries…? I don´t understand… if the Church is universal is not rather something glorious to be scattered all around the world? Besides from where was she scattered?
22 Therefore you shall say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake that I will do this, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations whither you went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the Gentiles, which you have profaned in the midst of them: that the Gentiles may know that I am the Lord, says the Lord of hosts, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
Well… first God punishes the Church and scatters her through the world, then the gentiles, seeing this scattering and punishment take occasion and profane the name of God… but at the end they will recognize God.
Are not the gentiles the same as “non-Jews”? Did this already happen or we have to wait for the fulfillment of this prophecy?
24 For I will take you from among the Gentiles, and will gather you together out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
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What? Now he takes the Church again from among the Gentiles and gather her “out of all the countries and bring her into her land”? Which is the land of the Church? Is not the whole earth? Is Rome? Jerusalem?
25 And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols.
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Ohh, so now we see that the Church is filth and she worships idols? :shocked:
26 And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit in the midst of you: and I will cause you to walk in my commandments, and to keep my judgments, and do them.
Same as before. The Church has a stony heart and doesn´t walk in God´s commandments? Is not the same as saying she is sinner?
28 And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers…
God gave to the fathers of the Church, whoever they are, a land? Which one? Heaven? Rome? Jerusalem?
and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Is not the Church the people of God? Why does He say here she is not or won´t be?
29 And I will save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for corn, and will multiply it, and will lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you bear no more the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 And you shall remember your wicked ways, and your doings that were not good: and your iniquities, and your wicked deeds shall displease you. 32 It is not for your sakes that I will do this, says the Lord God, be it known to you: be confounded, and ashamed at your own ways, O house of Israel.
Again, is not saying here that the Church is a sinner?
The rest of the chapter is but a repetition of what was said.