Chapter 9 opens with a vision of the Lord standing where offerings were wont to be made; sacrifices would now be unavailing. None of the rebels from His government will escape. “Hell” in verse 2 is not the lake of fire, but where the dead are awaiting eternal judgment. “Heaven” is “the heavens”; the expression does not mean the Christian’s heavenly home. Carmel is not a high mountain, but has deep and winding gorges overhung by trees, where hiding would not be difficult. But there can be no hiding from God, as these verses show.
The sinful kingdom of Israel (verse 8) was to be destroyed, but the house of Jacob not utterly. There would be a dispersion of them among all the nations (verse 9), and all the sinners are to die by the sword, who said that evil should not overtake nor befall them (verse 10). The kingdom of Israel perished, the Jews are scattered and are found today in many countries, but verse 10 has been only partially fulfilled.
God will not allow this book of judgment to be closed without His assurance of blessing for the remnant in whom is faith (verses 11-15). In the coming day He will raise up the tabernacle, not of two kingdoms, but of one, that of David, for Israel and Judah will be united. In that day there will be such blessing as this world has never known, and Israel will be the chief of the nations.
And where will the Church be then, — those who have believed the present message of God’s grace? With, Christ. Their home will never be on earth again, and the earthly blessings mentioned here are for God’s earthly people.