When God sent Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, He said, "...I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments" (Exodus 6:6). Yes, the wonders and miracles of that first exodus are recorded for us. But God says there will be another exodus, and that exodus will pale the first one into insignificance (Jeremiah 16:14-15)! How will this happen, and how might we be involved in this coming event? From Prosperity to Captivity Before we look at this actual exodus, it's important to know what God will be rescuing His people from! Because of Israel's continual disobedience, God will bring sevenfold punishment upon them (Leviticus 26:18, 24, 28). Hundreds of scriptures detail this coming punishment, which no people in history have ever had to endure (Ezekiel 5:9; Matthew 24:21). God says that He will first bring famine and pestilence and then military defeat to Israel (Ezekiel 5:12). Together, this will kill two thirds of Israel. God says what food is left will be taken by the invading armies, and the Israelites will resort to cannibalism for survival (Deuteronomy 28:49-53; Ezekiel 5:10). Being overthrown and occupied, the remaining third of Israel will be scattered and taken into captivity. Many will be deported overseas as slaves in labor camps (Deuteronomy 28:68; Jeremiah 30:8; Revelation 18:11-13). At this time God says He will have no pity (Ezekiel 5:11; 7:5-9). The oppression of the Beast power will be unimaginable. Satan is leading the Beast power, and he wants to destroy God's holy seed. Millions more Israelites will die in captivity, leaving only a tenth left at Christ's return (Amos 5:1-3; Isaiah 6:11-13). Of the approximately half a billion Israelite descendants today, some 450 million will die! This catastrophic time is referred to as "Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:5-8). Israel Will Remember God in Captivity God says that the few Israelites who are left will remember what He said, and know that He warned them about this coming punishment (Ezekiel 6:8-10). They will have been warned by the gospel being preached before the Tribulation and will be reminded by the messages of God's two witnesses during the Tribulation. Israel will have gone from world leaders to beleaguered captives. The world will be astonished at what has happened to Israel (Deuteronomy 28:37; Ezekiel 5:14-15). God makes powerful comparisons to the total fear Israel will be experiencing at this time (Deuteronomy 28:66-67; Ezekiel 7:17-18). He says they will be "trembling like a bird," and the sound of shaking leaves will terrify them (Hosea 11:11; Leviticus 26:36). Yes, Israel will believe they have no hope and will be at the end of their rope (Isaiah 49:14). The Great Rescue Begins The last trumpet sounds, and Christ returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The armies that fight against Christ are quickly destroyed. The remnant of Israel sees Christ's return, and their captors are defeated. But they are still scared, maybe even more! What will happen now? Concerning this remnant of perhaps 50 million, God says, "I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside...I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them; and they shall increase as they once increased" (Zechariah 10:6-8). This is not like the first exodus, where all of Israel was in Egypt. Now Israel is scattered around the globe (Isaiah 11:11-12). Yet every Israelite who is alive at this time will be rescued (Amos 9:9). God will use mighty miracles to gather them. Israel to See Miracles Again One of the first things God will do is make paths for His people to return. As it was for ancient Israel, the Red Sea will again be parted, and they will walk across on dry ground. The Euphrates River will also be divided (Isaiah 11:15; 43:16; Zechariah 10:11). The Bible also describes a large highway for Israel's return (Isaiah 11:16; 35:8-10; 43:19). The remnant of Israel will be returning to Jerusalem from the north and the south, and a path will be provided. Whatever obstacles are in the way, God will miraculously remove them (Isaiah 40:3-5). God will also bring physical healing (Isaiah 35:3-6; Jeremiah 33:6-7). And God will bring spiritual healing and open their minds to the truth. The Greatest Miracle of the Second Exodus By far this spiritual healing is the greatest miracle of all. Before Israel returns to Jerusalem, God will again offer great and wonderful promises to them (Ezekiel 20:33-36). With this New Covenant God will now offer salvation and His Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:24-28). When God begins bringing His people back from captivity, they will be a humbled people. They will be overwhelmed with emotion and be eager to return to God (Jeremiah 31:7-9; 50:4-5). With real repentance, individuals will begin receiving God's Spirit. And unlike their ancestors, they will have the heart and desire to obey God. Israel will again grow from a small handful to an innumerable multitude (Hosea 1:10). And they will finally become the model nation God wants them to be. Our Part in This Coming Exodus With some 50 million Israelites scattered all around the world, perhaps some of us will be involved in leading them back to Jerusalem. God says He will send shepherds to this remnant, to feed them and take care of them (Jeremiah 23:3-4). As a spiritual priesthood, we may be with them on their journey back home. Yes, you and I could be able to reach down, wipe away their tears and calm their trembling hearts. To these people we might say, "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21). Yes, God has offered us the privilege to be part of the incredible restoration of Israel. It begins with this awe-inspiring second exodus and ends with them finally being born into the Kingdom of God! UN Tim Groves is a member in the Jefferson, Georgia, congregation.