In Isaiah, chapter forty-nine, verses twenty-two through twenty-six, highlighting these scriptures, “Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” These verses foresee a time when God’s people will be restored to Him and the Gentiles converted. The Gentiles would lead a generation of God’s chosen people back to the Lord.
To lift up the hand is a sign of beckoning to, or inviting; that God would call the Gentiles to partake of the blessings of the true religion, and to embrace the Messiah. The new children – the new converts – are to come from the Gentiles; the fresh “sons” and “daughters” will be carried by the nations in their arms, and by the peoples upon their shoulders.
There are times when the church is desolate and few in number; yet its desolations shall not last forever, and God will repair them. God can raise up friends for returning Israelites, even among Gentiles. They shall bring their children, and make them thy children. Let all deal tenderly and carefully with young converts and beginners in their relationship with God. Princes shall protect the church. It shall appear that God is the sovereign Lord of all. And those who exercise faith, hope, and patience, wait on God for the fulfilment of his promises, shall never be confounded. Gentiles are those who are not originally from the nation of God.