Message of the Shulamite Woman to Jewish People
And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
PROPHETIC STORY PICTURES
James Schucker
The Shulammite Message to the Daughters of Jerusalem
I have long sought to understand the message the Lord was giving Israel through the book of Esther. I came to believe that the timing of the Lord’s return, along with the beginning of the restoration of Jewish captivity in 1878, likely plays an important role. When I first examined the parallels, it appeared that Haman was elevated about 63 years after Cyrus returned the Jewish people to their land in 539 BCE. In the same way, it seemed that Hitler repeated the role of Haman, as described in the book of Esther, again about 63 years later.
It appears that this was done to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:14-18 “Yet behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.’ 15Instead they will say, As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their forefathers. 16But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks. 17For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes. 18And I will first repay them double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and they have filled My inheritance with their abominations.”
Because the Jewish people were permitted to return to their land but did not do so promptly, the Lord raised up Haman, as recorded in Esther, to drive them back. I see a similar pattern in our day. Their 1,845-year double punishment, from 33 to 1878, ended after their rejection of Jesus as Messiah. Around that time, in 1874, Jesus raised up Benjamin Disraeli as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. By 1878, Disraeli helped make it possible for Jewish people to purchase land in Palestine/Israel for the first time since the diaspora began in 70–135 AD. This, I believe, fulfilled what the Lord said would happen if Israel failed to obey the law given through Moses in Leviticus 26:18-46.
Hitler = Haman
About 63 years after Jesus returned in 1874, He raised up Hitler as Haman’s counterpart in the book of Esther, again using him to drive the Jewish people back to their promised land. In 1938, Kristallnacht—the “Night of Broken Glass”—brought the burning of synagogues, the destruction of Jewish businesses, and the arrest of 30,000 Jewish men under Hitler’s regime.
The results of Hitler’s actions in World War II can be compared to the outcome of Haman’s plot. In Esther, after she revealed her ancestry to Xerxes, the king ordered Haman and his ten sons to be hanged on the gallows Haman had prepared for Mordecai, Esther’s uncle. In this prophetic picture, Esther represents Jesus’ Queen, the Church, now working beyond the veil through the United States to reverse the death sentence against the Jewish people by supporting the United Nations’ declaration of Israel as a nation in 1948. This gave the newly formed state of Israel the ability to defend itself against its enemies, as in Esther 8:7 – 9:17.
So what has happened from Israel’s nationhood in 1948 to the present, and what is taking place now? In Ezekiel 39:27-29, we read: “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them out of the lands of their enemies, I will show My holiness in them in the sight of many nations. 28Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, when I regather them to their own land, not leaving any of them behind after their exile among the nations. 29And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
Teaching Israel Warfare
We should remember what the Lord did when He first brought the Jewish people into the promised land. After Jericho [Joshua 6] and Ai [Joshua 7]—which I see as representing World War I and World War II in our time—the Lord says in Judges 3 that He left some of the Canaanites in the land “to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan, if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly.”
So what happened after Israel became a nation again? Israel was attacked once more, and Israel began again its lessons in warfare. Some may need to remember what the Lord told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 51:20-23 “You [Jacob] are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. 21With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver…” Taken together, these passages show that since 1948 the Lord has been teaching Israel warfare.
Again, this was the first thing that happened to Israel after them becoming a nation in 1948. This was also to fulfill what was prophesied in Zechariah 14:1-5 “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. 2For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. 3Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as when he fought on the day of battle. 4On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5You will flee to My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.” See: Revelation 16:17-21 Seventh Bowl of Wrath = Armageddon.
Understanding Zechariah 14 is essential for interpreting what is happening today. Anyone with eyes to see recognizes that when Israel became a nation in 1948, the surrounding Arab nations attacked. As a result, Jerusalem was divided in half. Yet the battle ended with Israel surviving and becoming an independent nation. Jordan-backed Palestinian forces took the Old City and East Jerusalem, while Israel held the newer city of West Jerusalem.
Dividing Jerusalem was not done by a formal international body, nor was it a pre‑planned border. It was a hastily drawn cease‑fire line created by two military officers:
Lt. Col. Moshe Dayan of the Israel Defense Forces.
Lt. Col. Abdullah a‑Tal of the Jordanian Arab Legion.
They met on November 30, 1948, after fighting in Jerusalem had stalled, and they drew the line by hand on a map using thick wax pencils. This improvised sketch became the de facto border between Israeli‑held West Jerusalem and Jordanian‑held East Jerusalem. The division of Jerusalem wasn’t the result of a carefully negotiated political plan. It was improvised; based on battlefield realities; never intended to be permanent. But later “frozen” into law by an armistice agreement.
Effectively the 1967 Six‑Day War erased the line that had divided Jerusalem for 19 years. On June 5, 1967, Jordan opened fire along the entire Jerusalem cease‑fire line, triggering full combat in the city.
Israel responded by:
Moving the Har’el Brigade toward Jerusalem
Capturing strategic high ground north of the city
Cutting through Jordanian front lines and isolating East Jerusalem
By June 7, Israeli paratroopers:
Broke through the Lions’ Gate
Entered the Old City
Reached the Western Wall
Took full control of East Jerusalem
For the first time since antiquity, the entire city was under a single government’s control. Later in 1967, Israel’s security cabinet made a secret decision:
The Green Line would no longer appear on official maps
Maps would instead show Israel extending from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River
The LORD will fight against those nations
In Zechariah 14:3, we read: “Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” Since 1948, Israel has not lost a battle, because the Lord has been behind them, teaching them how to fight. How has He taught them? By giving them many fierce enemies to confront, especially through the United Nations. Their present enemies have largely come from their older brethren, Ishmael and Esau, though these do not appear to be their final enemies. Gog and Magog, descendants of Japheth, Noah’s firstborn, are mentioned in Genesis 10:2. The Lord says He will “put hooks in” Magog’s jaws and bring them against Israel to demonstrate His power against all who oppose Israel. See Ezekiel 38.
IWhat we have yet to speak about from Zechariah 14:1-5 begins in verse 4 “On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5You will flee to My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.”
The "earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah" refers to a massive seismic event around the 8th century BCE, mentioned in the Bible and now supported by archaeological evidence, particularly in Jerusalem. Two prophets mention this earthquake:
Amos 1:1: Amos dates his prophecy “two years before the earthquake,” during the reign of Uzziah (Judah) and Jeroboam II (Israel).
Zechariah 14:5: Refers to people fleeing “as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah,” indicating its traumatic impact on collective memory.
Magnitude: Believed to be one of the strongest earthquakes in ancient Israel’s history.
Many people ask what the antitype of this earthquake is. I believe its antitype was World War II, which caused Jewish people to flee back to Israel. This, I believe, fulfills Jeremiah 16:16: “But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.”
Jewish Immigration Aliyah
Although the “First Aliyah” officially began in 1882, Jewish settlement activity was already underway by 1878, including: Founding of Petah Tikvah (1878) by religious Jews from Jerusalem.
First Aliyah (1882–1903) Immigrants: ~25,000–35,000. Origins: Russia, Romania, Yemen. Motivations: Pogroms, antisemitism, early Zionist ideas.
Second Aliyah (1904–1914) Immigrants: ~35,000–40,000 Origins: Russia, Poland Motivations: Pogroms, failed 1905 revolution, socialist Zionism Impact: Established the first kibbutzim, Revived Hebrew as a spoken language, Founded Tel Aviv (1909).
Third Aliyah (1919–1923) Immigrants: ~40,000 Origins: Eastern Europe. Motivations: WWI devastation, Russian civil war, Balfour Declaration (1917). Impact: Built roads, ports, and infrastructure and Strengthened the Haganah defense organization.
Fourth Aliyah (1924–1929) Immigrants: ~82,000 Origins: Poland, Hungary. Motivations: Economic crisis in Europe, U.S. immigration restrictions. Impact: Boosted urban growth in Tel Aviv and Haifa, and Expanded small business and light industry.
Fifth Aliyah (1929–1939) Immigrants: ~250,000 Origins: Germany, Austria, Poland. Motivations: Rise of Nazism, antisemitism. Impact: Major demographic shift, Growth in arts, architecture, and professional sectors and Increased tensions with the Arab population.
Aliyah Bet (1934–1948) – Illegal/Clandestine Immigration: Immigrants: ~100,000 Origins: Holocaust survivors, European refugees. Motivations: British restrictions (White Paper of 1939), desperation. Impact: Many detained in Cyprus which Influenced global sympathy for a Jewish state. This one is spoken about in Revelation 17:17-20.
Post‑1948 Immigration (State of Israel Era) After independence, immigration became central to Israel’s identity. 1948–1951: Mass Immigration: ~700,000. Sources: Holocaust survivors, Jews from Arab countries. Impact: Population doubled in 3 years. This by itself strikingly fulfills Zechariah 14:5 “You will flee to My mountain valley”.
1950s–1970s Major influx from Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern communities, Later waves from the Soviet Union.
1990s: Post‑Soviet Aliyah Immigrants: Over 1 million, One of the largest single Jewish migrations in history
2000s–Present Continued immigration from: France, North America, Ethiopia (multiple operations), Former Soviet states, Latin America.
According to search results: In 1948, Jews in Israel were 6% of world Jewry. Today, Israel is the largest Jewish population center in the world. Since 1948, over 3.2 million Jews have immigrated to Israel. Israel’s Jewish population grew from 600,000 (1948) to over 7 million today. This represents approximately half of the world's Jewish population now living in Israel.
One More Aliyah
We know according to Isaiah 66:19-20 that after the end of the Armageddon spoken of in Ezekiel 38 that many Jewish people will yet return. “I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So, they will proclaim My glory among the nations. 20And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
This will be done to fulfill Ezekiel 39:28 “Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.”
For some reason when the Jewish people began to return pre-WW2 the Arabs flooded into the promised land but after Israel became a nation Jewish immigration greatly increased, dwarfing the Arabs immigration.
This then dramatically fulfills what Zechariah 14:5, and Jeremiah 16:16 States would happen. “You will flee to My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. This fleeing refers to their return to the promised land! fleeing because the Lord Jesus worked with the hunters referred to in Jeremiah 16:16 “But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.” This hunting process is still going on! What remains is spoken of in Ezekiel 39:27-29 “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them out of the lands of their enemies, I will show My holiness in them in the sight of many nations. 28Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, when I regather them to their own land, not leaving any of them behind after their exile among the nations. 29And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, what does the Shulammite Woman’s message to the Daughters of Jerusalem have to do with all of this? In Song of Solomon 5:8, the Shulammite Woman represents the Christian churches, much as the Daughters of Jerusalem represent the synagogues in Jesus’ day. Like them, the Shulammite Woman failed to recognize the timing of the Lord’s advent and did not rise to answer the door in time. See Song of Solomon 5:2 and Luke 19:44. This understanding presents the Gospel message from the perspective of Acts 15:14-18: “Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own. 15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: 16‘After this I will return and →[after the Gospel age, during the harvest]← I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17so that the remnant of men [the Daughters of Jerusalem, or synagogues] may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name →[Christian churches]← says the Lord who does these things.”
From these scriptures, it should be clear that Messiah Jesus has returned and is the one “rebuilding the ruins and restoring them to their land.” Simon was quoting from Amos 9:11-15. The point is this: it is time for all of you to wake up!
May the Lord add his Blessing
Call: Jim Schucker 808-754-8978 for help in understanding.