Don't they have to exist before they can "turn back" [Hebrew: shuv]... That's what it seems to me that Hosea 5:15-6:3 is saying; as well as its parallels Ezekiel 37:12-14,20-23 [dry bones prophecy; stand before "breath" etc]... and Daniel 12:1-4,10 [distinct from verse 13]... and Isaiah 26:16-21 [note "birth pangs"]... and Romans 11:15[25]… John 6:39 [distinct from v.40]… and others.
When I posted the above ^ , I had forgotten which thread I was in. ha.
So I would add a few things to consider:
--Jesus, in both
Luke 22:30,16,18 and
Matthew 19:28 [<--this one, parallel with Matthew 25:31-34 FOR
TIMING], said, "[re: the 12] ye shall sit on twelve thrones, judg
ING the twelve tribes of Israel." (why mention "the twelve tribes of Israel" specifically, here? and especially the mention of "when"... why say that?)
--consider that many times "prophetic time-frames" [
time-related prophecies] (especially pertaining to "Israel" and prophecies concerning them) are factored using the "360-day-year" (such as the 7-Wks and 62-Wks "unto the Messiah the Prince" [
FROM Point A
TO Point B]), and the various places where the
"1260-days/42-months/time-times-half-a-time" are mentioned [re: future time period; factoring out to 30-day-months/360-day-years--and
no, it's
not that I believe that that future time period (the 7-yr trib) will somehow actually "
become shorter years," but that this pertains specifically to points in the "Hebrew calendar-of-significant-events-that-point-to-ultimate-fulfillments" (pointing Israel to their Messiah [within the future trib] and His promised and prophesied
earthly Millennial Kingdom they will be immediately awaiting, during that specific future limited time period)]
--then consider that
Leviticus 26 refers several times to a particular [phrase], saying, "if you will not hearken... I will punish you seven times more..." (so 7-TIMES what was remaining, the 360-yrs left of that particular time-frame)...
--and consider that 7x360 = 2520-years (and using the 360-day "prophetic-years" as all are factored in), it seems like too much to be a "coincidence" that prophecies
pertaining to "ISRAEL [the nation]" then factors
"FROM 537bc TO 1948ad EQUALS 2520 years (of 360-days)" AND that prophecies
concerning "JERUSALEM" [and "temple" things] then factors
"FROM 518bc TO 1967ad EQUALS 2520 years (of 360-days)"...
--and consider that this ^ is coupled with the understanding of
Ezekiel 4 (for one of the factors to multiply by the "7 times")...
--and that this ^ is entirely distinct from the "70-Weeks" prophecy (which is also distinct from the "70-years" captivity that was coming to a close at the time of Daniel's prayer in Dan9)…
--and much more I could say (besides what I'd put in my quoted post above), but I've run outta gas for now... night all!