The last six verses of Isaiah chapter eleven tell about the return and restoration of God’s people Israel. When the tribulation period, or the “time of Jacob’s trouble” is ended, God will bring the remnant of Israel from all corners of the earth. He will heal up the division among His people and bring them back together. With His wind, He will smite and divide the Egyptian sea, and His people will pass over it on dry land and God will make a highway there for the remnant of His people. Let us take a look at these exciting verses.
“11) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12) And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (Isaiah 11:11,12) All of the remnant of Israel will be brought back home. Wherever they may be in the earth, they will come home.
Remember how Ephraim became confederate with Samaria and with Rezin, the son of Remaliah. They came up against Judah and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overcome him. However, they did cause a lot of destruction and took away captives which later were given back to Judah. (See II Kings chapters fifteen and sixteen). God does not want His people divided and fighting among themselves. When He brings back the remnant during the thousand year reign of Christ, all those divisions will be healed, and His people will be one again. “13) The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14) But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.” (Isaiah 11:13,14)
As they move toward their Promised Land, what will happen to the Israelites when they reach the Egyptian sea? Verses fifteen and sixteen describe the scene for us, “15) And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16) And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
Remember when God first brought Israel up out of Egypt, they “borrowed” jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment from the Egyptians. Whatever they asked for, the Egyptians “lent unto them… And they spoiled the Egyptians.” (See Exodus 12:35,36) One day, Israel will again spoil their adversaries, while they pass through on their way back to the Promised LAnd. As they journeyed through the wilderness, God gave the Israelites great victory over Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. The Moabites saw this, and the king of Moab hired Balaam in an attempt to curse Israel. When Israel returns to their land for the final time, they will lay their hand upon the children of Moab. Edom would not let them pass through their land. One day, Israel will lay their hand upon Edom as well. When Israel fought with Sihon, they went as far as the border of the children of Ammon because Ammon was too strong for them. There is coming a day when Ammon will serve and obey them.
Israel will be retracing many of the steps they took when the came out of Egypt the first time. When they come to the Egyptian sea, God will blow with His wind, smite the sea in its seven streams, and make a highway through that sea so Israel can come over on dry land. It will be a happy day of victory and complete restoration, and God will make the way before them just as He did at their beginning, “And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” (Isaiah 11:16)