Zechariah 8:13
And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
As the house of Judah and the house of Israel had become a curse among the heathen nations, God pledges to save them and to make them a blessing in their place. On that ground they are charged not to fear but to let their hands be strong, taking courage and acting with strength in the work set before them.
The promise was meant to be fulfilled in large measure in the centuries following the return from exile, bringing both temporal prosperity and spiritual blessing. Those rewards were made to depend on obedience to the principles of righteousness. It belonged to God's purpose to bless Jerusalem, yet Israel failed to fulfill what He intended for them.
That promised restoration both typifies and pledges God's spiritual restoration of Israel before the end of time, when the remnant shall prosper and His people shall be saved and restored. This gives hope and definite purpose to missionary labor for the Jews. In connection with the scattered flock that God has promised to gather and restore, it calls for earnest effort to save souls where people have been neglected.