To study Israel in the millennial age one must carefully consider what the Bible says about Israel in the future Messianic Kingdom. This is a major theme of the Old Testament prophets who speak in great detail about the restoration of Israel as well as the millennium temple, priesthood, sacrifices, etc. Indeed, it was the high point of Old Testament prophecy; every writing prophet with the exception of Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Malachi had something to say about it. To spiritualize and allegorize away such a great amount of Scripture is to confuse the whole science of interpretation. There is no reason to spiritualize any of these prophecies anymore than those prophecies dealing with the First Coming of the Messiah such as the Virgin Birth, the birth in Bethlehem, His death, or His physical Resurrection, etc.
The Four Facets of the Final Restoration of Israel
There are four primary facets to Israel’s final restoration with each being based on a specific covenant. The first facet of Israel’s final restoration is the national regeneration of Israel. The second is the re-gathering of the chosen, next is the possession of the land, and then the establishment of the Davidic throne. Each of these covenants is fully developed in later prophetic revelation.
The basis of Israel’s final regeneration is the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34.  “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, declares the Lord. I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
 The announcement of the New Covenant begins with a declaration that it will be a new covenant for it will be made with both houses of Israel. The result of the New Covenant will be a total national regeneration of Israel. Jewish missions and Jewish evangelism will not be needed in the Messianic Kingdom, because every Jew will know the Lord, from the least to the greatest. The sins of Israel will be forgiven and forgotten. To a man, all the Jews will believe. There will be no need to tell a Jew to know the Lord because they will all know Him (v. 34).
 That Israel was to undergo a national regeneration is not confined to the words of the New Covenant alone. The truths of the New Covenant are greatly elaborated by various prophets. Other prophets mention either the New Covenant or the facet of the New Covenant that deals with the regeneration of Israel (Isaiah 29:22-24; 30:18-22; 44:1-5; 45:17;Jeremiah 24:7, 50:19-20; Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:25-27; Hosea 1:10-2:1; 14:4-8; Joel 2:28-32; Micah 7:18-20; Zephaniah 3:9-13; Romans 11:25-27). According to Micah 7:18-20, This national regeneration of Israel will result in a total forgiveness of Israel’s sins.
 The second facet of the final restoration of Israel is the re-gathering of Israel from all over the world. This is based on the Land Covenant of Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20, where, through Moses, they are warned against turning away from the Lord. Then the passage proceeds to state that they will do exactly that, resulting in the dispersion out of the Land into the Gentile nations to endure a long period of many persecutions. But this dispersion out of the Land is not going to be permanent, because eventually there will be a re-gathering as described in Deuteronomy 30:1-10. But this final re-gathering will occur only after the regeneration of Israel, at which time the punishments previously applied to Israel will now be applied to the Gentiles. Although curses may fall on the Gentiles, there will only be blessings for Israel because they will totally return to the Lord.  The re-gathering of Israel, following the regeneration, is another high point of prophetic revelation. Out of the many passages that talk about the worldwide re-gathering, Isaiah 43:5-7 emphasizes the magnitude of the final restoration of Israel in the re-gathering. Isaiah writes:
5Fear not; for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west; 6I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth; 7every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.
 In the future it will be the final re-gathering of the Jews that will become the high point of Jewish history.
 The third facet of the final restoration of Israel is the possession of the Land encompassing two aspects: its total boundaries and its productivity. The basis for this facet is the Abrahamic Covenant as found in various passages of the Book of Genesis. The very beginning of the Abrahamic Covenant is in Genesis 12:1-3. In Genesis 13:14-17, the promise is clearly made that the land is to be possessed by Abram personally as well as by Abram’s seed. Yet, Abram died having never possessed any part of the land except for a few wells and a burial cave that he had to purchase. In order for God to fulfill His promise to Abram, two things have to occur: Abram must be resurrected; and the land must be restored to Israel. Since Abram’s seed is to possess the land as well, and since Israel has never possessed all of the Promised Land, this, too, remains to be fulfilled.  In the above passage, Abram was told that all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring, but no exact boundaries were given. Later however, as God confirmed the covenant, the exact boundaries were given in Genesis 15:12-21. The borders are to extend from the Euphrates River in the north to the river of Egypt in the south.
 This third facet of Israel’s final restoration, the possession of the Land, was further developed in both the Law and the Prophets. For the first time in Israel’s history, she will possess all of the Promised Land, while the Land itself will greatly increase in its productivity and be well-watered, all on the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant (Leviticus 26:40-45; Isaiah 27:12; 30:23-26; 35:1-2; 65:21-24; Jeremiah 31:1-6, 11-14; Ezekiel 20:42-44; 28:25-26; 34:25-31; 36:8-15, 28-38; Joel 2:18-27; 3:18; Amos 9:13).
 The fourth facet of the final restoration of Israel is the re-establishment of the Davidic Throne. This prophecy is based upon the Davidic Covenant found in two passages of Scripture: II Samuel 7:11-16 and I Chronicles 17:10-14.  In essence then, the Davidic Covenant promised four eternal things: an eternal dynasty, an eternal kingdom, an eternal throne, and an eternal Person. The eternalness of the dynasty, kingdom, and throne are guaranteed only because the Seed of David culminated in the Person who is Himself eternal. This fourth facet is also developed by the Jewish prophets. For example, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Amos 9:11-12, Luke 1:32-33.
 Besides the various features mentioned in the passages dealing with the covenants and their prophetic developments, other passages develop additional characteristics. One of the other major features of the final restoration is that Israel will be reunited as a nation, never to be divided into separate kingdoms again (Jeremiah 3:18; Ezekiel 37:15-23).  A second major characteristic of Israel’s final restoration is that they will become the center of Gentile attention. Gentiles will be drawn to Jewish people for various reasons. They will be drawn to the Jewish people in order to observe the great work that God has done in the final restoration. To learn about the Jews and from the Jews because Israel will be the light to the Gentiles in that day (Isaiah 14:1-2; 49:22-23; 60:1-3; 61:4-9; Micah 7:14-17; Zechariah 8:23).
Another feature of Israel’s final restoration combines the various characteristics of righteousness, holiness, peace, security, joy and gladness. These six basic attributes are emphasized in Isaiah 32:16-20; 35:5-10; 51:3; 55:12-13; and, 61:10-11.
The Millennial Temple: Ezekiel 40:5-43:27
The Millennial Temple is described in Ezekiel 40:5-43:27. This passage gives exact measurements and specific details concerning what the Millennial Temple is going to be like and how it will be constructed. It also discusses how each area will be set up, its function and even décor.  In chapter 41:17-19 we read “In the space above the outside and entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary were carved cherubim and palm trees….” There is no way to make any sense of this passage if we try to allegorize all these deliberate details. We are given as much detail here as in the construction of the Tabernacle and the construction of the First Temple. It will be the largest and most beautiful Temple Israel has ever had.
According to the measurements the temple will be about a mile square, (much too large for the present Temple Mount) and will sit on top of a high mountain that will rise out of the land of Israel. There are several passages that speak of this Millennial Mountain of the Lord’s House: Isaiah 2:2-4; 27:13; 56:6-8; 66:20; Micah 4:1-2.
 The Millennial System Of Priesthood And Sacrifices: Ezekiel 44:1-46:24
These three chapters of Ezekiel are concerned with the various laws regulating the millennial system of priesthood and sacrifice. Although the priests in this millennium temple will continue to be from the tribe of Levi, those who will serve inside the sanctuary will be restricted to the descendants of Zadok. The Levites who…went far from me…must bear the consequences of their sin v10. They are not to come near to me as priests…Yet I will put them in charge of the duties of the temple…v.15. Those who have been faithful are honored and established, v. 15, 16. These are remarkably distinguished from the other: "But the sons of Zadok, who kept their integrity in a time of general apostasy, who went not astray when others did, they shall come near to me, shall come near to my table." God will put marks of honor upon those who give proofs of their fidelity and constancy to him in shaking trying times, and will employ those in his service who have kept close to his service when others deserted it and drew back.
The question often raised is this: “In light of the fact that Yeshua was the final sacrifice for sin, why do we need to have sacrifices in the Millennial Kingdom?” We must remember that even before the Messiah died, animal sacrifices did not take away sin either; the purpose of animal sacrifice was never to take away sin. Hebrews 10:1-4 points out that the animal sacrifices did not take away the sin of the Old Testament saint, it only covered it. Animal sacrifices in the Mosaic Law had one purpose and that was to have a temporary covering until Messiah’s blood would be shed. While they did not take away sin, they provided the grounds for forgiveness and restoration of fellowship for the Mosaic believer.
 The millennial sacrifices are going to have a different purpose. The millennial sacrificial system will have the same purpose that Communion has for the Body. To this day we observe the Lord’s Table or the Last Supper, in which we distribute two literal elements, the bread and the wine, in order to remember the broken body and shed blood of our Messiah. The Communion Service is the physical way of remembering what the Messiah accomplished on the cross for the Body.  Israel will also have a physical way of remembrance by way of the sacrificial system. The purpose of the sacrificial system in the Kingdom will be the same as the purpose of Communion for the Body: in remembrance of me. Israel in the Kingdom will be practicing the sacrificial system so that throughout the Kingdom there will be a physical and visible reminder of what Yeshua the Messiah had accomplished on the cross. It is not to remove sin but to remember that sin has been removed through Yeshua the Messiah. For the Millennial believer, they will provide the grounds for forgiveness and restoration of fellowship.
The Millennial Israel: Ezekiel 47:13-48:29
For the first time in Israel’s history, the Jews will possess and settle in all of the Promised Land, and it will again be subdivided into the twelve tribal divisions. But these tribal divisions will be different than those described in the Book of Joshua. Ezekiel states that the provision of all of the Promised Land will be the final fulfillment of God’s covenant promises.
Ezekiel sets out the boundaries of the Land in the Millennium. The northern boundary will extend from the Mediterranean Sea incorporating modern-day Lebanon and parts of modern Syria over to the Euphrates River. The eastern border will move south from the Euphrates River, incorporating the Golan Heights and portions of Syria almost up to Damascus, and continue south to the Jordan River where it exits from the Sea of Galilee. The border will then run along the river all the way down to the southern end of the Dead Sea. The southern border will move from the southern end of the Dead Sea, incorporating the Negev and parts of Sinai all the way along the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish) to the point where it reaches the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea will be the western border.
In the center of the country there will be the Millennial Mountain of the House of the Lord. The mountain will be situated at the south of Judah’s border and will serve as the dividing line between the seven northern tribes and the five southern tribes.
The Millennial Jerusalem: Ezekiel 48:30-35
Ezekiel describes the Millennial Jerusalem as having four sides to the city with twelve gates, three gates on each side, and named after the twelve sons of Jacob. At that time Jerusalem will be given a new name which will be Adonai Shammah that means “The Lord is there.” Since the Messiah will personally reign from this particular city, the city will not only fulfill its name of Jerusalem “the city of peace” but also Adonai Shammah, “The Lord is there”.
Psalm 48:1-10 describes Jerusalem as the city of The Great King. Psalm 87:1-7 tells us that Jerusalem is known as the city of God in the real sense of the term and peace will characterize the city in every aspect. Psalm 122:1-9 the Davidic Throne will be established in that city and Yeshua the Messiah will reign from the city of Jerusalem.
For those who trust the Lord of the Bible, the God of time and history, the Millennium will be the time when Messiah’s reign will be firmly established on earth. We, as believers, look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises made to Israel. God’s faithfulness to Israel for thousands of years speaks of the trustworthiness of His word.  As He has fulfilled his promises to past generations He will fulfill those promises yet to come.