by jimwalton » Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:14 pm
The question of when this teaching applies to remains unanswered.
Hosea is revealing Israel & Judah's failure to repent at a deep level. God judged them for it, but is willing to welcome them back. His judgment was meant to convict them, motivate them to repentance, which would result in healing and hope. God is offering them a restored life.
The terminology of two...three is common in Scripture to denote emphasis and certainty. We see it in Job 5.19 & Prov. 6.16 (a pattern of x, x+1) as a technique of parallelism to heighten the effect. By saying 2...3, he is emphasizing the truth and certitude of the restoration. "Two" is a number connoting humiliation; "three" is a number of fulfillment, restoration, and praise. Yes, they have been brought low, but God will conclusively raise them up.
The immediate meaning is a judgment from God against Israel in 722 BC at the hand of the Assyrians and Judah at the hands of Babylon in 586. But Israel is not to fear. All is not lost. God will preserve a remnant of His people and they will be restored at some undisclosed time in the future.
I don't see any particular reason to see the text as pertaining to the End Times. I would reject the interpretation "someone" gave pertaining to various millennia and the Millennial Reign of Christ.
The question of when this teaching applies to remains unanswered.
Hosea is revealing Israel & Judah's failure to repent at a deep level. God judged them for it, but is willing to welcome them back. His judgment was meant to convict them, motivate them to repentance, which would result in healing and hope. God is offering them a restored life.
The terminology of two...three is common in Scripture to denote emphasis and certainty. We see it in Job 5.19 & Prov. 6.16 (a pattern of x, x+1) as a technique of parallelism to heighten the effect. By saying 2...3, he is emphasizing the truth and certitude of the restoration. "Two" is a number connoting humiliation; "three" is a number of fulfillment, restoration, and praise. Yes, they have been brought low, but God will conclusively raise them up.
The immediate meaning is a judgment from God against Israel in 722 BC at the hand of the Assyrians and Judah at the hands of Babylon in 586. But Israel is not to fear. All is not lost. God will preserve a remnant of His people and they will be restored at some undisclosed time in the future.
I don't see any particular reason to see the text as pertaining to the End Times. I would reject the interpretation "someone" gave pertaining to various millennia and the Millennial Reign of Christ.