Return to the Land, according to Tanakh

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A THREAD FOR BASHING JEWS OR ZIONISM. IF YOU WISH TO DO THAT, MAKE YOUR OWN THREAD. ALL VIOLATORS WILL BE REPORTED.


I decided to do some studying tonight, and I would like your opinions.

Jews Against Zionism says:

*Zionism, by advocating a political and military end to the Jewish exile, denies the very essence of our Diaspora existence. We are in exile by Divine Decree and may emerge from exile solely via Divine Redemption. All human efforts to alter a metaphysical reality are doomed to end in failure and bloodshed. History has clearly borne out this teaching.
*Zionism has not only denied our fundamental belief in Heavenly Redemption it has also created a pseudo-Judaism which views the essence of our identity to be a secular nationalism. Accordingly, Zionism and the Israeli state have consistently endeavored, via persuasion and coercion, to replace a Divine and Torah centered understanding of our people hood with an armed materialism.

In other words, Torah says that YHWH will bring them into the land, and any man-made attempts will end in failure. Furthermore, YHWH will not bring them into the land until Jews have all returned to worshiping Him.

But what about Ezekiel 36:24-28? It says:

"For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people, and I will be your God."

Notice the timeline. First the people are gathered, and then they are cleansed, and then they are filled with the Spirit, and start worshiping YHWH.


This is shown again in Hosea 3:4-5:

"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days."

Again, they will return, then seek YHWH.

How about some more . . .

Jeremiah 3:14,15
“Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."

Jeremiah 23:3, 4
But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

Same thing. There are many more passages that show that the restoration of Israel will be secular at first, but will end up with Jews returning to YHWH AFTER they have returned to the land.

The second point of contention is the claim that YHWH Himself will return the people. He will not use the nations to fulfill his needs.

This, again, does not follow the Tanakh. It is shown many times where YWH uses nations (gentiles) to bring about the safety of His people. YHWH used Egypt to save Jacob. YHWH used Rahab to help secure the land. The list goes on and on. And never once, does YHWH say that it was the nations or gentiles who did this. He claims it was by His hand that His people were saved.

So am I missing something here that the Orthodox Jews are seeing, and I am not?