This morning I was thinking about the scripture…
Hosea 6:1-2
Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Now, I'm not good with historical dates and time lines, nor am I well versed in Israel's history, so I'm wondering when this verse is written and how it might pertain to 2 Peter 3:8 I was thinking that there is another scripture in the OT that speaks to the thousand years being as a day?
Going back to the Hosea verses mentioned above, at what point was Israel torn and smitten? Is Hosea speaking of the future here, or has it already taken place when Hosea speaks this? I see back up in chapter 5, vs.9 it speaks of the day of rebuke, vs.10, a reference to God's wrath, and in vs.15, a reference of the Lord returning to his place till Israel acknowledges their offence and they seek his face during their affliction. So my question then becomes when are the two days being fulfilled? I believe I can see, if I'm not mistaken, that the third day would be the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth with Israel.
As far as when that passage was written, no one living today can say for sure (because no one living today was there), and therefore only God knows. But, with that said, there are so-called scholars, who specialize in biblical dating who put the date at 785 B.C., that according to the dating of the Scofield Reference Bible, and it seems to be the consensus. So take it for what it's worth.
Anyway, like you said, "Come let us return..." is in response to the last verse in chapter 5, where the Lord leaves them and goes back to his "place."
What I see there is that that is a prophecy of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ when he was rejected as their king and returned to heaven on exile until they call out for him in the future.
Matthew 23:37-39
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Matthew 24:1a
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:
So it is my understanding that this is "the where" that prophecy begins and culminates with the Lord's ascension to the Father until he returns. But during that time away, Israel will be "torn and smitten" by the Lord by both using and allowing the gentiles around them to destroy them. This will happen during the tribulation period.
Now when it comes to the "days" referred to by Hosea...it could very well be, and I believe it is in my own study, that it could be a period of 2 thousand years. God set a pattern of 7 days in Genesis, and he uses that same pattern of 7’s to do things throughout scripture. There could be a correlation between the 7 days of creation and 7-thousand years of creation before God brings a new heaven and earth.
Psalm 90:4
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
2 Peter 3:8
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
So we can see that there could very well be a correlation between the 7 days of creation and 7 thousand years of creation before eternity set in. Interestingly, when the book of Hebrews talks about Christ's millennium kingdom, it uses the words "his rest." That is eerily similar to the book of Genesis...
Genesis 2:2-3
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Hebrews 4:1-11
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
So to your question about what's going on in the book of Hosea, I do believe that that was a prophecy of Israel’s rejection of the Lord nearly 2,000 years ago, that that is what is in view with the "two days"! And then His return "early" on the 3rd day! Christ came on the 4th day of Creation, or 4,000 after Adam's creation, and it's been nearly 2,000 years since he left, so we are coming up to the end of the 6,000 years of "man's day," and will soon enter the "Lord's day," or the "day of God," which I believe will be the 7,000th year of creation since Adam, the Millennium kingdom. By the way, for what it's worth, the majority of Jewish scholars see this 7-day/7,000-year correlation from Adam to Messiah's kingdom, as well.
Although the dispensation that we live in is a mystery as far as prophetic scriptures in concerned, I do however believe that God is still using the time and years that make up our present dispensation of Grace as part of his overall 7,000-year plan. In other words, he, knowing that he would do this, still counts our 2,000 years towards the 6,000 years of creation from Adam to the Lord's return.
Here's something cool to consider. Notice how Paul talks about our gospel...
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
It is interesting that Israel's Messiah "dies" (his rejection on the cross), he is then buried (put out of sight for 2 days/2,000 years), and then comes back on the third day (his millennial kingdom). Quite similar to Hosea, yes?
What's bad news for Israel, is gospel for us!
Hopefully this helps!
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