In Psalms, chapter one hundred and twenty-six, verse one, the theme is a technical phrase that also means, “When the Lord restored the prosperity of Zion.” In Psalms fourteen, verse seven declares, related to the title, “Oh that the salvation of Israel was come out of Zion! When the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.” In Job forty-two, verse ten, “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” The restoration happened when the threat of Sennacherib to take Jerusalem reversed in fulfillment of prophecy, and the surrounding nations sent present to Hezekiah, as in Second Chronicles thirty-two, verses twenty-two through twenty-three.
The restoration was even better when God’s chosen people returned to Jerusalem from Babylon.
The theme under Zion’s captivity section resembles how believers today who were born in sin receive restoration by receiving salvation through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to be set free to live in the beauty of His presence in righteousness. In John eight, verse thirty-six, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The Lord turned the captivity of Zion so they could be free to receive His Word and serve Him. In Second Timothy two, verse twenty-six, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Still, people today do not realize the opportunity they have in Christ. There are unbelievers, church-goers, and religious leaders who believe once they accept salvation, they can live and do as they please. However, in Hebrews four, verse twelve, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”