[stephanos]

So I ran into a couple verses in Psalms that caught my attention:

Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. (Psalms 14:7 KJV)

Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. (Psalms 53:6 KJV)

Both of these verses start with "A Psalm of David" in my Bible (Cambridge Reference Bible). Now, I just finished reading through Numbers and Chronicles, and I don't remember a national captivity in David's time. Can anyone shed any light on this for me? My first thought I had when reading these was that they are prophetic, and refer to a captivity during the tribulation. But now that I've just researched this (I was looking for a verse in Isaiah which was what came to mind as I read Psalms 53:6 that refers to God calling back the exile into Israel at the end of the Tribulation) I don't think this is it. I don't seem to see anything to suggest that this future exile will be a captivity. I think it's an exile and will happen at the word of the Lord:

Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela (Petra) to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness. (Isaiah 16:1-5 KJV) (I think this supports a theory that the remnant will hide in Petra just before Isaiah 63:1-6)

Also, does anyone know who wrote the Psalms that are addressed as "A Psalm for the sons of Korah"? Because 85 speaks of another captivity, which could mean these were written in the time of Ezra and Israel's Babylonian captivity:

<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.>> LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. (Psalms 85:1 KJV)

Some claim these were written by the sons of Korah, but I just don't see that seeing as every Psalm with their name on it says "for the sons of Korah".

Peace and Love,
Stephen

[Samuel]

Psalms 14 and 53, definitely are prophetic to the last days. As there was no captivity in Davids time, nor do they fit with the return from Babylon. In fact except for a slight progression in 53, the two are almost identical.

On the captivity spoken of, just off the top of my head. God has really never brought the Jews back from their captivity, and will not until the beginning of the Kingdom age. This present occupation of Jerusalem is a remnant, just as after Babylon a remnant returned, so all prophesy may be fulfilled.