And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of
Israel to return
Mention being made of the return of the captivity of Israel, or the ten tribes, as well as that of Judah, shows that this prophecy does not relate to the return of the Jews from their seventy years' captivity in Babylon; but is to be understood spiritually, of a release of the mystical and spiritual Israel of God from the captivity of sin, Satan, and the law, by the Messiah: and will build them as at the first;
in the latter day, as at the beginning or first times of the Gospel; when the temple of the Lord was built by Christ, as the chief master builder, and by his apostles under him, upon himself, the foundation of the apostles and prophets; he being the corner stone of it, whereby it became a habitation for God through the Spirit. Since that time, by means of heretics and false teachers, and especially by the man of sin, the tabernacle of David, or church of Christ, is greatly fallen into ruin, and needs rebuilding and repairing; and this will be done; and then it will be a beautiful structure, as at the first, or as it was in the times of the apostles; see ( Acts 15:16 ) .