The Hope of Israel

The prophets longed to see the day when Christ would be born, die on the cross for our sins, and rise again—yet they looked in eager anticipation to these events because they inevitably fold into the hope of Christ's second coming. The reason they anticipated Christ's return with eagerness is much the same as why we look forward to this day: with His return comes the restoration of all things, including Israel. This was their hope and longing in the midst of judgment from God and exile in a strange land. They ached for the Day of the Lord, knowing it meant salvation was neigh, God's Kingdom and reign would be at hand soon, and ultimately, that God would usher in His eternal kingdom, where sin, Satan, and death would be no more.