All Nations

In the book of Jeremiah there are many references to the last days, and Jeremiah spoke of how the events of the final days on the earth would involve all the nations of the world in at least two different contexts.   On the one hand there will be a great war that will involve all nations: “For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.  Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink” (Jeremiah 25:15-17). In other words, as the chapter summary states, “All the inhabitants of the earth will be at war.”  Other scriptures tell us how these nations will at some point be gathered in to the land near Jerusalem itself in a terrible war.  On the other hand, though, Jeremiah also prophesied about how the restoration of Israel to righteousness would eventually involve all nations of the earth: “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart” (Jeremiah 3:17).  Ultimately as the wicked are destroyed, people from all nations of the earth will be gathered in to Jerusalem to finally again establish a righteous people there.  

                Other scriptures show us that as all these nations are brought to war in the last days, they will be specifically gathered in to Jerusalem in a great fight for the city.  In Joel we read, “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:1-2).  The valley of Jehoshaphat is believed to be the Kidron valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.  The prophet Zechariah similarly wrote, “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken” (Zechariah 14:2).  We read that “half the city shall go forth into captivity,” but ultimately the Lord will save and protect Jerusalem from the onslaught of these nations. “It shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 14:2, 16).  So just as Jeremiah wrote, we see that all nations will likewise participate in the restoration of righteousness at Jerusalem once the Lord has saved the city from the terrible war.      

                Other scriptures likewise confirm that in this time when the Savior will have victory over the wicked and usher in the Millennium, there will be people out of all nations in Jerusalem.  Isaiah wrote, “And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord” (Isaiah 66:20).  In modern revelation we similarly read, “The righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy” (D&C 45:71).  Ultimately the Lord will be no respecter of nations, but “all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they repent” (1 Nephi 22:28).  The events of the last days will involve all nations and Jerusalem will be the great “burdensome stone” that will gather them together in war, but for those who will repent and welcome in the Savior’s return, they will ultimately be gathered in safely in Zion and Jerusalem as Christ ushers in His millennial reign (Zechariah 12:3).