Devotional Thought
“I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
Amos 9:14–15 (NIV)
The story of Israel’s return to the land after nearly two thousand years is more than a historical marvel. It is the embodiment of God’s faithfulness across generations. What seemed impossible—an exiled people regathered, a barren land reborn—was never beyond His reach.
Scripture paints the Jubilee year as a time when everything lost is restored: debts are forgiven, captives are released, land is returned. And so it will be at the end of all things—the ultimate Jubilee. Jesus, our Jubilee, is coming again. The end is not a cause for fear but for anticipation. God is writing a story that moves from ruin to rebuilding, from exile to embrace, from endings to eternity.
As we reflect on prophecy fulfilled and promises still to come, let’s consider our own readiness, our own return, and the ways God is still restoring what has been broken.
Group Reflection Questions
1. When you think of “Jubilee” as a spiritual concept—return, release, restoration—how does that stir hope or challenge you personally?
2. The message connected modern events like 1917, 1967, and 2017 to biblical prophecy. What do you make of the idea that God orchestrates His purposes even through the headlines of history?
3. In what ways have you seen God bring restoration in your life—whether relationally, emotionally, or spiritually?
4. The sermon emphasized how Israel’s return to the land is a prophetic signpost. Why do you think God ties His promises so closely to physical places like Jerusalem?
5. What parts of this teaching raised questions for you? Did anything feel unfamiliar, surprising, or even unsettling?
6. Is there anything in your heart that you feel God is asking you to return to Him—perhaps a place of trust, worship, or obedience?