Thanks! We are studying through 2 Kings now, and have jusst finished the point where the Northern Kingdon has been taken out of the land by the Assyians; where the prophecies of Hosea and Amos particularly apply.
From J. N. Darby's "Synopsis" of 2 Kings 13:
In the prophecies of Hosea the two great principles of God's dealings may be seen, one of which has been set before us in Elisha (the connection between the resurrection of the man about to be buried, and the first Verse I shall quote, is remarkable), namely, redemption from the power of death (Hos. 13:14); and the governmental dealings of God (Hos. 14:9). But how the prophet labours to adapt his voice to the foolishness of Israel, and to make it reach the conscience of this erring people! He comes after Elisha's death. Elisha's presence among them, and the subsequent testimony of Hosea, bring out the marvellous patience and kindness of God towards them. Hosea gives us more than the internal history-he unfolds the causes of the judgments, although God may have sometimes interposed for restoration, and may have appeared to smite when the king was less wicked than ordinarily. In the language of the prophets we find what the people really were in the sight of God. The promise of their restoration, and in principle even that of our present blessing, is found there also.
“We are currently living in the time between the first return (commencing May 1948 till present) and the second return, which will be the complete repentance and conversion of Israel to God.”
Am I correct in thinking Israelites will be scattered throughout the world yet another time when they are betrayed by the antichrist at the abomination of desolation?
In the book of Hosea, distinctions are made. The major distinction is between The House of Judah and the The House of Ephraim/The Northern Kingdom. Judah is mentioned as retaining her position before God. It is The House of Ephraim, which signifies The Northern Kingdom that this book is about, not Judah.
It is The House of Ephraim which is lost into the gentile world, no longer subject to God's mercy, no longer His people, utterly scattered, lost and forgotten. It is at the end of time that the people descendant from the children of The House of Ephraim are once again identified, brought into Israel, and take again their rightful identities as true Israelites.
This book is primarily about The Northern Kingdom, not Judah. Judah has a totally different destiny, taken to Babylon, with a remnant brought back to rebuild The Temple and Jerusalem. Their descendants became the Judites of Jesus time and His parents. The Jews/Judites never lost their identity as the children of Israel. The people of God of The Northern Kingdom did.
The people of The Northern Kingdom and their descendants have been siphoned into the Church, and also will be found at the end of the age and brought back to Israel as true Israelites. They are those who were not My people, who shall be called the people of God again.
We are to rightly divide The Word of God. One extremely important division is between The Southern Kingdom and The Northern Kingdom. Much of The Bible, to be rightly understood, is about these two Kingdoms finally and once again becoming one.