It was on this day in 1967 that the ancient Jewish settlement in the Middle Eastern country of Aden came to its end when its last Jew arrived in Israel. It is important to note that this immigration process began just after the close of the Six Day War in 1967 and the reunification of Jerusalem. In other words, very soon after this climatic event, God began to regather His people back into their ancient homeland. There are many ancient prophecies that address this, but an important one to read is in Isaiah 43:5-6: 

“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth.”

There have been many such immigrations such as this one in 1967, and it’s interesting that this one came from the east of Jerusalem. But the prophecy in Isaiah says that they will also come from the West and every direction. This has happened to a degree over the years since Israel became a nation, and since Jerusalem was reunited. Many times, we see that these immigrations into Israel from other lands happen in conjunction with persecution of the Jews in ancient communities. 

One of the largest influxes of Jewish immigrants happened at the end of the former Soviet Union as the Iron Curtain began to collapse. At that point in time, literally, hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the former Soviet Union began to flood into the state of Israel. As that happened, many thought it was the fulfillment of prophecy. While this was a fulfillment, it most likely was not the fulfillment. Consider what the Scripture says in Jeremiah 16:14-15:

“Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but, The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them. For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.”

While this prophecy is being fulfilled, it has not been fulfilled completely if we read the prophecy very closely. Every Passover, people still speak of the Exodus from Egypt, not the one Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel and others spoke of. Thus we understand that, in the near future, God will gather His people which in turn suggests He is currently distinguishing who His people are. By that we mean to say, distinctions are being made between those who will cling to Him and those who choose to cling to the things of this world.

Therefore, we need to begin the process of divesting ourselves from those temporal things that would keep us tied to something this world and its seductions. What that means for everyone, individually, is between you and God, but corporately, we should all know that a time of separation is beginning and will very soon come to fruition. 

This should not be viewed as discouraging; it should be very encouraging because it means that our redemption is at hand. Governments, nations, and institutions, are crumbling around us, and very soon some of them may collapse. But the Kingdom of Heaven, which will never pass away, is at hand. 

Shalom.