Before the Dawn: Prophecies and Signs of Redemption

Throughout Jewish history, our prophets have painted vivid pictures of the end of days — of exile and return, destruction and renewal, suffering and redemption. For generations, these prophecies were studied with awe and yearning. Today, as we witness dramatic changes in the Land of Israel and throughout the world, many wonder: Are we seeing the early light of their fulfillment? Rabbi Paul Bloom reflects on this long-asked question and offers an insightful approach to it.

This essay explores those timeless visions through the words of Tanach and Chazal, together with reflections on recent events that may echo their call. Our purpose is not prediction, but perspective — to view our moment in history through the lens of prophecy and faith.

Walking the Streets of Jerusalem

As I walk the streets of Yerushalayim during this deeply spiritual season — from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, culminating in Sukkot — I sense that we are living in extraordinary times. Never before has it been so clear that the words of our Nevi’im are unfolding before our very eyes. The vision of the prophets is not ancient poetry; it is a living reality, a call to awaken and prepare.

1. קִבּוּץ גָּלוּיוֹת —  Ingathering of the Exiles

One of the clearest signs of redemption foretold in the Tanach is the return of Am Yisrael to its land:

וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ, וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֱפִיצְךָ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ שָׁמָּה

 “Then Hashem your God will bring back your captivity and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations where Hashem your God has scattered you.” (Devarim 30:3)

קִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל אַדְמַתְכֶם

 “I will gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.”
 — Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 36:24

For nearly two millennia, Jews were scattered across the globe. Yet today, from every continent — North America, South Africa, France, Russia, Ethiopia, and beyond — the Jewish people are returning home. This is nothing less than the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. This prophecy can be found in at least 18 places in Tanach (See Appendix).

2. תְּחִיַּת הָאָרֶץ — The Land’s Rebirth

The prophets spoke not only of the people’s return, but of the land itself coming back to life:

וְאַתֶּם הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַנְפְּכֶם תִּתֵּנוּ וּפִרְיְכֶם תִּשְּׂאוּ, לְעַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי קֵרְבוּ לָבוֹא

 “But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall give forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they are soon to come.” (Yechezkel 36:8)

For centuries, Eretz Yisrael was desolate, barren, and neglected. But with the return of her children, the land has awakened — vineyards flourish, cities rise, and deserts bloom. Today, Israel leads the world in desert agriculture, drip irrigation, and reforestation. Hills once barren are now green; valleys bloom with orchards. Every fruit tree and field seems to testify that the Divine promise is alive once more.

3. שׁוּב רִבּוֹנוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל — Restoration of Sovereignty

The return to the land was always tied to the renewal of Jewish sovereignty. After centuries under foreign rule, the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marked a historic turning point. For the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jewish people govern their ancestral homeland.

וְשָׁבוּ בָנִים לִגְבוּלָם  

“And children shall return to their borders.” (Yirmeyahu 31:16)

Though challenges remain, the existence of a Jewish state is a miracle in itself — a declaration that prophecy is not a relic of the past but a living promise.

4. יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִים בְּמֶרְכַּז הָעוֹלָם  — The Rebuilding of Jerusalem

No city embodies the story of Am Yisrael like Yerushalayim. The prophets foretold that it would once again be filled with life:

עוֹד יֵשְׁבוּ זְקֵנִים וּזְקֵנוֹת בִּרְחֹבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ‍ִם... וּרְחֹבוֹת הָעִיר יִמָּלְאוּ יְלָדִים וִילָדוֹת מְשַׂחֲקִים בִּרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ  

“Old men and old women shall yet again sit in the streets of Jerusalem… and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing.” (Zechariah 8:4–5)

Today, one can walk through the alleys of the Old City and witness exactly this — elders on benches, children laughing, Torah scholars hurrying to shiurim. The recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by nations of the world marks yet another step toward the fulfillment of Zechariah’s vision.

5. בִּלְבּוּל הָעוֹלָם וּמַשְׁבֵּר הָאֱמוּנָה —Moral Confusion and Global Upheaval

Our sages taught that before the coming of Mashiach, the world would enter a time of moral confusion and upheaval — what Chazal called Chevlei Mashiach, the “birth pangs” of redemption.

We live in a century of remarkable technological progress yet profound spiritual disorientation. Values once considered sacred are questioned, while evil often masquerades as good. Injustice, violence, and the distortion of truth dominate global headlines. This turmoil, though painful, may be the darkness that precedes the dawn.

6. דִּין הַגּוֹיִם — The Judgment of Nations

The prophets also foresaw that, in the end of days, the nations would be judged for their treatment of Israel:

וְנִשְׁפַּטְתִּי אִתָּם שָׁם עַל עַמִּי וְנַחֲלָתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר הֵפִיצוּ בַגּוֹיִם, וְאֶת אַרְצִי חִלֵּקוּ  

“There I will enter into judgment with them concerning My people and My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and they have divided up My land.” (Yoel 4:2)

Recent debates over dividing the Land of Israel echo this prophecy with chilling clarity. Yet we have also seen unexpected moments when world leaders, against political odds, have defended Israel’s right to exist and to protect its people — reminders that the hand of Hashem guides history.

7. תְּשׁוּבָה וְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת רוּחָנִית — Awakening of Teshuvah

A further sign of redemption is the spiritual awakening among our people. Even amid pain and crisis — such as the tragic events of October 7 — there has been a surge of faith, unity, and return to Torah.

Jews across the globe have deepened their connection to mitzvot, tefillah, and Shabbat. Many have embraced tzitzit, tefillin, and acts of kindness as never before. This collective return reflects the promise:

וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ, וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלוֹ  

“And you shall return to Hashem your God and listen to His voice…” (Devarim 30:2)

8. הֲכָנוֹת לַבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ — Preparations for the Temple

Even the longing for the Beit HaMikdash — the dream of rebuilding — is stirring once again. From renewed study of Temple laws to the crafting of priestly garments and instruments, signs of readiness abound.

כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תּוֹרָה, וּדְבַר ה' מִירוּשָׁלָ‍ִם

 “For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem.” (Yeshayahu 2:3)

 The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has prepared vessels, priestly garments, and identified red heifers suitable for purification. While these efforts are symbolic beginnings, they reveal a yearning rooted deep in the Jewish soul — a yearning that itself is part of the redemption process.

 

9. ‘שָׁלוֹם עוֹלָמִי וְדֵעַת י —Universal Peace

Isaiah envisioned a world transformed by the knowledge of God:

לֹא־יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל־גוֹי חֶרֶב, וְלֹא־יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה  

“Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Yeshayahu 2:4)

While we are not there yet, we see growing global awareness of the futility of war and the power of peace. Perhaps these are early footsteps of a new moral consciousness — the distant echoes of Isaiah’s dream.

The Dawn Before Day

Yet shadows remain — conflict, confusion, and suffering. Even so, Rabbi Akiva taught us how to see light amid ruin. When his colleagues wept at the desolation of the Temple, he smiled:

נִתְקַיְּמָה נְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל עוּרִיָּה — מִתְקַיֶּמֶת נְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל זְכַרְיָה

“If the prophecy of Uriah [destruction] has been fulfilled, then surely the prophecy of Zechariah [consolation] will also be fulfilled.” (Makkot 24b)

Rabbi Akiva’s faith was not naive optimism; it was a recognition that history itself is the canvas of Divine promise.

Reflection

What are we to do in such times? The prophets teach that redemption demands response:

• To see the hand of Hashem in history.
• To strengthen our commitment to Torah and mitzvot.
• To support the rebuilding of our people and land.
• To prepare our hearts for the Geulah.

These are not luxuries, but necessities.

Conclusion

Prophecy is like the dawn — faint light breaking through night. What we are witnessing are the beginnings of that light. This is a moment both solemn and hopeful.

While not everyone can make Aliyah immediately, it is imperative that each of us begin — and hasten — our preparation for that day. Hashem continually gives us signs. All we need do is open our eyes, thank Hashem, and listen.

Of prophecy and practicality

The Talmud traces the causes for the destruction of the First and Second Temples to the spiritual failings and sins of the Jewish people. As those assessments are undoubtedly correct, they are observed in the popular view of the events to be the sole cause of these national tragedies. However, it should be obvious that failed policies, false assessments of the military and diplomatic situations of the times and a certain amount of foolhardy bravado certainly were also involved in destruction of the First and Second Commonwealths. 

In both instances the Jewish rulers pursued irrational policies, in the mistaken belief that somehow they would prevail and that Heaven would overlook their mistakes and the national sins. As is often the case in human history, when caution and good sense are substituted for emotion and personal calculations, disasters are likely to follow. 

And so it was in our first two attempts at Jewish national sovereignty in the Land of Israel. There is no escape, for good or for worse, from the consequences of national behavior and of governmental policies. Though the supernatural is always present in human affairs, no policies or strategic decisions should be made on the basis of mystical interference with the consequences of behavior and governmental policies. 

Faith in supernatural help is a basic idea in Judaism. However, Judaism teaches self-reliance, wise choices in life and in diplomacy, and a realistic and rational outlook on unfolding events and prevalent societal forces. Heaven helps the wise and astute. 

The mighty empire of Babylonia destroyed the First Temple. It did so after a rash and wholly irrational decision by the Judean king to rebel against its authority and ally himself and his small, weak country with Egypt, then the competing empire in the Middle East. This decision was opposed by the prophet Jeremiah. He warned the king and the people of the folly of this policy. No one knows what would have been the result had the king listened to Jeremiah and not taken up arms against Babylonia. But no one can deny that the decision of the king to rebel was foolish. The prophet Jeremiah was certainly more practical and wise than the monarch of his day.

One would have thought that the prophet would have invoked the power of faith over the practicality and the reality of the situation. But that was certainly not the case. The Jewish people then were simply unable to imagine that God, so to speak, would allow His own holy house to be destroyed. But the prophet warned them that they were mistaken in that belief and that disaster would follow their erroneous assessment of the situation.

One of the bitter lessons of this period in the calendar is that practicality and wisdom are necessary in order to insure Jewish national survival. Faith in God is everything in Jewish life. But the faith must be founded on the realities of the world and the circumstances of life that surround us. The same lesson is to be learned from the story of the destruction of the Second Temple. Realistically, the Jewish Commonwealth had no chance or ability to defeat the then mighty Roman Empire. The great rabbis of Israel at that time, almost to a man, opposed the war of rebellion against Rome. They foresaw defeat and disaster. The Zealots, who fomented and fought the rebellion to its ruinous conclusion, proclaimed loudly and often that somehow Heaven would bless their efforts and provide them with miraculous victory. Again, this was a disastrous miscalculation on their part. 

Again. We can never know what the Jewish story would have been like if the Zealots would not have mounted their ill-fated rebellion. But we do know that their actions led to a long and painful exile for the Jewish people. Everything is in the hands of Heaven but without the human execution and participation, the will of Heaven is never executed on this earth. 

So, the Jewish world in our time also needs a heavy dose of practicality and reality in order to translate our limitless faith into concrete achievements and goals. Abandoning the worship of false idols, of immoral behavior and wanton murder, coupled with the mitigation of baseless hatred in our community are the spiritual and emotional weapons for our redemption. 

Added to these is the requirement for hard realistic thinking, wise policies and tempered utopianism. May we all be comforted, both nationally and personally in this difficult time. 

Rabbi Berel Wein