At the selfsame time:

'The Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the

remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from

Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar,

and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea ... and shall assemble

the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from

the four corners of the earth' (Isa. 11:11,12).

This, as Romans 15:12 reveals, constituted the hope of the Church

during the Acts of the Apostles period.  It is utterly impossible for Israel

to have been enjoying light and blessing under the 'Government of Heaven' for

a period of nearly 500 years as the teaching known as The Pre -Millennial

Kingdom avers, and at the end of that period to have outcasts in the 'four

corners of the earth', and a remnant that needs recovering from all the

countries specified in Isaiah 11:11.

Another feature that will guide us is given in Isaiah 11:16, Israel's

regathering will be 'like as it was ... in the day that he came up out of the

land of Egypt'.  The examination of this important feature must be postponed

until we have considered further references to this remnant.

Let us leave the Major Prophets and see what the Minor Prophets

contribute to this subject.

When the day comes called 'the last days', when spears are to be turned

into pruning -hooks, and when nations shall learn war no more, we read:

'In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I

will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; and

I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a

strong nation: and the Lord shall Reign over them in mount Zion from

henceforth, even for ever' (Micah 4:6,7).

Such a description of the character of the times immediately preceding

the Coming of the Lord to reign, makes a previous period of light or blessing

lasting 500 years impossible.  Again Micah continues:

'Unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion (yea, the former

dominion shall come, Revised Version); the kingdom shall come to the

daughter of Jerusalem' (Micah 4:8).

This will answer the question of the apostles as recorded in Acts 1:6.

remnant will have a twofold relationship with the Gentile peoples.

'The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as a

dew from the Lord ...

The remnant of

Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of

many people as

a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young

lion among the

flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both

treadeth down,

and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver'

(Micah 5:7,8).

These references should be kept in mind when we read of the 'Rod of

Iron' with which the reign of Christ begins.*