(05-19-2024, 12:10 AM)ThomasDGW Wrote: "While the Scriptures prophesy as you point out, that the Jews will be brought back to their ancestral homeland of Israel by G-d, the Scriptures do not prophesy any further exile."
Will it really be a further exile, if the Jews have not been brought back by God, in the way God described? For a long time, I also assumed that Israel forming a nation in the promised land would not be reversed. But, as I was meditating on these prophecies I mentioned, and others, and the implications that the Jews would have to be out of the land before the end, I thought of how Jews were given permission to return to the land in the time of Ezra. Over about the next 500 years, the second temple was established and a thriving population of Jews lived in the land, although there was still a significant diaspora. But that wasn't the prophesied second gathering, and there was the next expulsion of the Jews. Was that so different from the "return to the land" that we witness today, to the point that we can confidently say that there will be no more expulsion?
I am aware that anyone who attacks the Jewish people will be receive vengeance from God. Even when Jews are being punished by God Himself, no one should dare help, or even rejoice, as Obadiah warned. But that doesn't mean that an expulsion won't happen.
I came to this understanding alone. I don't see anyone else saying this, but if my reading and reasoning are sound, attention should be paid to this, at least as a possibility. If I am right, and the nation of Israel is defeated, it will be a huge shock, and the more so after confidently saying "Never again." More importantly, if I am right, this might save a lot of Jewish lives if they run to Zambia, for example, instead of Israel. I assure you that I will feel sick to see the Muslims gloat.
I don't see any requirement in the Scriptures for the Jewish people to be fully or mostly in exile at the time when the Redemption shall occur, and as I pointed-out there are still many Jews still living outside the Jewish ancestral homeland of Israel.
I believe the following two paragraphs are directly relevant to the Redemption and protection of Israel (prevention of exile) to which you refer:
Not meaning any disrespect to Israel's "secular" Jews, and it is just my view, but I believe that meanwhile (that is pending the Redemption of the remaining Exiles), religious Jews / the Jewish religious communities, bring merit to the Jewish Community / to Israel (likely with the exception of the minority anti-Zionists since they reject the land G-d gave to the Jewish people),
and that this merit is hopefully helping to protect Israel in the long run.
Again, not meaning any disrespect to Israeli LGBTI+ people, the Scriptures forbidden a certain same-sex act for Jews. It could logically be argued that it cannot be "helpful" in gaining the Divine assistance whether for the Redemption of the remaining Exiles or for the protection of Israel, for communities in Israel, to:
Not only ignore that Scriptural provision,
but to actually impliedly-celebrate commission of what it forbids, through "gay pride" parades.
Also meaning no disrespect to other contributors here, since the question you have put up for discussion is a religious question and I am not a Rabbi, I suggest you discuss this question with a Rabbi, and my personal view, an Orthodox Rabbi.