Israel Will Be Restored

Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
   I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,
   your foundations with lapis lazuli.
I will make your battlements of rubies,
   your gates of sparkling jewels,
   and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children will be taught by the LORD,
   and great will be their peace.” — Isaiah 54:11–13

In the verses above we read a beautiful description of Israel’s future as told to us by the prophet Isaiah. The Haftorah begins with a call to Zion to make room because her children are coming home. Although the prophet described the great return of the nation of Israel, which should inspire joy and celebration, Zion refused to be comforted. Isaiah noticed: “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted …”

What’s holding Zion back from being comforted?

The Sages explain by taking an overall look at the long history of Israel. There was a cycle. The nation sinned, they called out to God, God sent a redeemer, and they were saved. This cycle occurred numerous times just in the book of Judges alone! On a larger scale, it is the summation of all Jewish history. Even when the Jews were brought back to Israel after the destruction of the First Temple, they were exiled again hundreds of years later. So Zion refused to be comforted because, even though her children had returned once more, what was to stop the cycle from repeating itself again?

Isiah continued that in the Millennium things would be different. He said that this time the children of Israel were not going to be as they had been before. Isaiah described how the very walls and streets of Jerusalem would be paved with precious stones. In addition, all of Zion’s children would learn directly from God Himself. This time, Israel would be restored to even greater glory than ever before. This time it would be a complete change that would last forever.