Jer 48:32-47  Yet Will I Bring Again the Captivity of Moab in the Latter Days

[Study Aired August 21, 2022]

Jer 48:32  O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.
Jer 48:33  And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.
Jer 48:34  From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.
Jer 48:35  Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
Jer 48:36  Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
Jer 48:37  For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
Jer 48:38  There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:39  They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.
Jer 48:40  For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
Jer 48:41  Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Jer 48:42  And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.
Jer 48:43  Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:44  He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:45  They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
Jer 48:46  Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.
Jer 48:47  Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Sibmah is an area of Moab known for its vineyards and for the treading of its grapes. Jazer is similar to Sibmah and has already been broken and destroyed by the Babylonians. “Thy plants” signify the people and doctrines of Sibmah which have held dominion over us for so long and are now being judged and destroyed by the spoiler.

Jer 48:32  O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

As we saw with the stories of Abraham mourning the loss of Ishmael and King David mourning the death of King Saul, it is proper that we never rejoice when we see our enemy fall, and that we mourn with those who mourn.

Gen 17:18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

2Sa 1:17  And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
2Sa 1:18  (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

Rom 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

The ‘summer fruits and…vintage’ of both Jazer and Sibmah are the fruits of her proud lies and false doctrines to which we have attached ourselves with so much pride that we of ourselves cannot humble ourselves to let go of their deadly affect upon us. Therefore:

Jer 48:33  And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

“Their shouting shall be no more shouting” is the same as saying:

Mat 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Luk 11:34  The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
Luk 11:35  Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

If we think that darkness within us is light, then our shouting will not be shouting. Rather it will be weeping and mourning for the loss of the kingdom of our old man. Our own wickedness will correct us:

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Moab within us claims he fears the Lord, yet he ignores the Lord’s word and the Lord’s ways.

As an example of light being darkness, anyone who thinks that the modern ‘Book of Jasher’ is anything but spurious heresy is in deep darkness while thinking they are in the light. When we read:

2Sa 1:18  (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

“…It is written in the book of Jasher” should never be understood and meaning ‘…it is written in the modern, spurious ‘book of Jasher’. The same goes for the Book of Enoch which is not in our view at this moment. For any who think the book of Jasher is authentic just take the time to read chapters 53-54 which purport to give us the story of Joseph and his brothers. The book of Jasher chapters 51-54 retell the story of Joseph’s brothers appearing before him in Egypt, and in this retelling, these chapters add much to “that which is written” in the True written word of God.

Here is a short cut and paste from chapter 51:

“37 And Joseph went out from them and came into the chamber, and wept a great weeping, for his pity was excited for them, and he washed his face, and returned to them again, and he took Simeon from them and ordered him to be bound, but Simeon was not willing to be done so, for he was a very powerful man and they could not bind him.
38 And Joseph called unto his mighty men and seventy valiant men came before him with drawn swords in their hands, and the sons of Jacob were terrified at them.
39 And Joseph said unto them, Seize this man and confine him in prison until his brethren come to him, and Joseph’s valiant men hastened and they all laid hold of Simeon to bind him, and Simeon gave a loud and terrible shriek and the cry was heard at a distance.
40 And all the valiant men of Joseph were terrified at the sound of the shriek, that they fell upon their faces, and they were greatly afraid and fled.
41 And all the men that were with Joseph fled, for they were greatly afraid of their lives, and only Joseph and Manasseh his son remained there, and Manassah the son of Joseph saw the strength of Simeon, and he was exceedingly wroth.
42 And Manassah the son of Joseph rose up to Simeon, and Manassah smote Simeon a heavy blow with his fist against the back of his neck, and Simeon was stilled of his rage.
43 And Manassah laid hold of Simeon and he seized him violently and he bound him and brought him into the house of confinement, and all the sons of Jacob were astonished at the act of the youth.” (End Quote)

I do not believe that I am the only one who hears “the voice of a stranger” in these words of this obviously spurious ‘book of Jasher’. According to this book, Judah took a stone ‘the weight of 400 shekels’ (ten pounds) and threw it up in the air with one hand and caught it with the other hand and then sat upon it and crushed it to powder. Then Joseph had Manasseh his son to do the same trick. Then Judah and Simeon threaten to destroy all of Egypt. Here is verse 35 of chapter 54:

“And Joseph was greatly afraid at the words of his brethren lest they should destroy Egypt…” (End Quote)

It is a book of total fantasy wrapped up in many verses taken right out of the Bible and millions of nominal Christians are deceived by such spurious heresy. Equally false stories abound throughout this book and throughout the equally spurious Book of Enoch. The books mentioned in scripture are not those which have been invented by unprincipled men to masquerade as books of scripture. Christ’s sheep know His voice, and none of these books, regardless of their antiquity, have the voice of Christ within them:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

As ‘proud Moab’ all our lying false doctrines are revealed for what they are, and yet it is proper that we mourn the death and destruction of Moab just as King David mourned the death of King Saul recounting King Saul’s many wonderful works:

2Sa 1:17  And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
2Sa 1:18  (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
2Sa 1:19  The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
2Sa 1:20  Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
2Sa 1:21  Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
2Sa 1:22  From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
2Sa 1:23  Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
2Sa 1:24  Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
2Sa 1:25  How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
2Sa 1:26  I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
2Sa 1:27  How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

Three times King David laments “How are the mighty fallen”, and he does so regarding the Lord’s rejected anointed.

King Saul has a closer relationship to Abraham’s seed than Moab has, nevertheless both are of Abraham’s family, and both must be judged. King Saul’s judgment will be more severe than Moab because he typifies those who were given more and therefore are expected to produce more:

Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

We have “all sinned and come short of the glory of God”, and His fiery words will try every man’s work of what sort they are:

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Jer 48:34  From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

Isaiah 15 contains this same lamentation for Moab and Zoar:

Isa 15:5  My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.

Zoar is the very city to which Moab’s father Lot, and his mother, Lot’s oldest daughter, and her younger sister, Lot’s two daughters fled before leaving Zoar to live in a cave:

Gen 19:15  And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
Gen 19:16  And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
Gen 19:17  And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
Gen 19:18  And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
Gen 19:19  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
Gen 19:20  Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
Gen 19:21  And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
Gen 19:22  Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar [meaning ‘little’].

Isa 15:6  For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
Isa 15:7  Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows.
Isa 15:8  For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.
Isa 15:9  For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.

“An heifer of three years old” is a mature cow with a strong voice, whose lowing can be heard by all who are anywhere near. The Lord Himself will bring ‘lions’ upon Moab in the form of the merciless Chaldeans.

Jer 48:35  Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

In terms to which we can relate, the Lord will cause all the holidays which were celebrated in the pagan ‘high places’ to no longer be tolerated, and the gods of the holidays of Moab will be destroyed. Chemosh will be destroyed and “caused to cease”.

Jer 48:36  Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.

Pipes were sounded at funerals and at times of great mourning, and Kirheres had been a very wealthy city which is now “perished” with all her riches. Our riches are our doctrines, and that is where our hearts are:

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jer 48:37  For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

All these are rituals associated with a great mourning. Moab is so far from God that cuttings were common even though the Lord had told Israel:

Deu 14:1  Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
Deu 14:2  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Jer 48:38  There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:39  They [You and I] shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. [We come to loath our own shame (Eze 20:43)]
Jer 48:40  For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
Jer 48:41  Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Jer 48:42  And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.
Jer 48:43  Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:44  He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:45  They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

“Fire shall come forth out of Heshbon” is the same prophecy Gideon’s son made against his brother, Abimelech, who was of the city of Shechem and who had slain 70 of his brothers, the sons of Gideon:

Jdg 9:20  But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

Jdg 9:23  Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

Jer 48:46  Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

Chemosh is the god of the Moabites. This is what we read earlier in this same chapter:

Jer 48:7  For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

Chemosh has been letting Moab down for many years, including many years before Israel came up out of Egypt. This is what Moses had to say of Chemosh and his people, Moab:

Num 21:25  And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
Num 21:26  For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
Num 21:27  Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
Num 21:28  For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.
Num 21:29  Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
Num 21:30  We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

Chemosh is called “the abomination of the Moabites when listing the gods to whom King Solomon built temples in Jerusalem:

1Ki 11:7  Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
1Ki 11:8  And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

The Lord had given King Solomon more than He had given the Moabites; more riches, more knowledge and more carnal wisdom, and yet we read:

1Ki 11:1  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
1Ki 11:2  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
1Ki 11:3  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
1Ki 11:5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1Ki 11:6  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

Moab is our proud flesh which is being judged in this age. King Solomon in his old age typifies those who become the same as King Saul who was the Lord’s rejected anointed, for whom it will be worse ‘in that day’ than it will be for Sodom:

Luk 10:10  But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
Luk 10:11  Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Luk 10:12  But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

Here is the Lord’s conclusion after all this denunciation and destruction of Moab:

Jer 48:47  Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

‘Bring Again The Captivity’

This phrase “bring again the captivity” is found in reference to several nations in scripture. It is most often mentioned in reference to Israel being brought back to their God, but it is also used in referring to other nations:

Jer 29:14  And I will be found of you [“captives from Jerusalem], saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Jer 30:3  For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Jer 30:18  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

Jer 31:23  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.

Jer 33:11  The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

Jer 48:47  Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Jer 49:6  And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.

Jer 49:39  But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

Eze 29:14  And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.

Eze 39:25  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;

Joe 3:1  For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

Amo 9:14  And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Zep 3:20  At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

Here we have 13 verses with the words ‘bring again the captivity’ in them. Of these 13 verses, 9 of them refer to the Lord’s people Israel. The remaining four refer to Moab, Ammon, Elam, and Egypt. Applying the principle of living by every word, we must acknowledge that Moab, Ammon, Elam, and Egypt are also within the first man Adam who is within every man, especially ourselves first and foremost. Like the seven churches with their various sins and transgressions, at the end of each admonition we are told:

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:6  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

‘Hearing’ and ‘seeing’ are two ways of saying the same thing:

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: )

We simply cannot understand unless we are given eyes that see and ears that hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God:

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek: drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

When Christ tells us “Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them”, He is telling us that all the prophets and righteous men of the Old Testament weren’t even ministering to themselves. Instead, they were all ministering to us, and they “have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them”.

It is given to the apostle Peter to place our salvation in the period following Christ’s coming to die for our sins. For that reason, salvation was completely unavailable to anyone in the Old Testament until they come up in the great white throne judgment:

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The fact that the holy spirit tells us the Old Testament prophets prophesied of the grace that would come to us, “Not unto themselves, but unto us…” makes clear the primary meaning of that oft repeated phrase “bring again the captivity” refers first and primarily to those who are in Christ in this present time who will be revealed as “the manifestation of the sons of God” at the resurrection of life, which is also called “the… blessed and holy… first resurrection”, which “manner of time” is at the end of this dispensation of grace, and at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of “our Lord and His Christ… with a rod of iron”:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

We live in faith those words are true, and we give our lives in service to the Truth of this promise:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

With all of this in mind it becomes clear that ‘bringing again the captivity of Moab’, yes, even ‘Moab’, applies primarily to the Lord’s elect first and foremost. It is our false God ‘Chemosh’, the man of sin within us, whom we worship, and who must be the first to die to himself. Through that death and destruction come forth unto life “more abundant” and not ‘bring again our captivity… with Sodom and her daughters’ (Eze 16:53) just to be “a base nation… there”.

Eze 29:14  And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.

Therefore, in closing it is very important that we realize that ‘bringing again the captivity’ of some nations reveals the “manner of time”, and the glory of the particular resurrection which is under consideration (1Co 15:41-42).

1Co 15:41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

If Sodom is brought back from her captivity and also Samaria, and we are told that ‘Jerusalem and her daughters’ are among those of Sodom and her daughters, then that is a qualifying statement which tells us that this ‘Jerusalem’ is the ‘Jerusalem’ which is now and is in bondage with her children and who answers to Hagar the bondwoman and to her son “the son of the bondwoman” who will “not be made heir with the son of the free woman”.

To state this as clearly as possible:

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: [“Thy captives” referring to “Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children… not… made heirs with the children of the free woman” (Gal 4:30-31)]

Both the 144,000 firstfruits unto God and the Lamb and the great multitude which no man can number are brought again from their captivity and wash their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. However, the great multitude is not the firstfruits to God and the Lamb, and the great multitude which no man can number are instead “the rest of the dead” of:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them [144,000 firstfruits], and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [verse 4] is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Here is the earlier prophecy of those who will reign with Christ for a thousand years:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh [in “this present time” Rom 8:18], and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

It is the “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” who will rule with Him a thousand years:

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

These “firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb” are numbered as 144,000, to be contrasted with:

Rev 7:9  After this [After revealing to us the 144,000 firstfruits] I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation [the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death], and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Being “before the throne of God” and sitting with Christ in His throne are two very distinct rewards, and it is our hope to be with, and sit with Christ in His Father’s throne and not suffer the loss of that blessing, while still being saved through the fire of His Word:

1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

We are the children of the freewoman, and those who are not the children of the freewoman will not be made heir of the kingdom of God which will reign over the kingdoms of the world for a thousand years and then “judge angels” in the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death.

Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.