Israel Scattered

A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ez. 5:12 KJV)

These prophecies in Deuteronomy and Ezekiel remain unfulfilled: God has not yet scattered Israel among all nations. The Assyrians relocated Israelites south of the Caspian Sea, in present-day northern Iran, rather than dispersing them widely. Later migrations carried Israelites to relatively localized regions, including northern Europe, the British Isles (including Ireland), North America, Australia, and New Zealand—areas separated from major Gentile centers by islands, continental distance, or vast oceans.

Today, Gentiles are concentrated in some regions, while Israelites are concentrated in others. Few Gentiles live among Israelites, and even fewer Israelites live in Gentile regions such as Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa. South Africa is an exception. But when God scatters Israel among all nations, that exception will become the norm, and Israelites everywhere will share the plight of those in South Africa.

God has not yet scattered Israel on a large scale or sifted them "among all nations." Today's demographics do not yet reflect the distribution described in Deuteronomy 28, Ezekiel 20, or Amos 9. This scattering is still to come, and several scriptures connect it to Israel's fall and “Jacob's Trouble." For example:

One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:12 KJV)

Does the scattering mentioned here occur before or after Israel's fall? Apart from the final clause of Ezekiel 5:12, which clearly says the sword will follow the third group God scattered "to all the winds," the passage doesn’t give a clear sequence. Although war is mentioned after pestilence and famine, it could have caused them—and therefore come first. Historically, war has often preceded famine.

Some of the prophesied scattering could plausibly begin before the pestilence, even during a period of relative peace and prosperity. This doesn’t rule out the possibility that modern-day Israel’s final dissolution will lead to vast, involuntary migrations. Given the scale of the prophesied sifting and scattering, God may begin dispersing Israel before national destruction, using the “open borders" established by a globalized international community.