Because the people refused to repent and missed the opportunity for early salvation, redemption is now bound to a predetermined time. They must wait patiently for the End of Days, when a global transformation will occur and God will gather the nations of the world for judgment. The primary approach among commentators is that because the people corrupted their ways, they are forced into this long delay; salvation no longer depends on their actions, but rather on a fixed time in the future. This promise of ultimate redemption from God is eternal and unbroken [חומת אנך, מצודת ציון].
When God finally acts, the nature of His rising carries multiple layers of meaning. Some commentators view it as an eternal revelation, marking a final redemption that will never be followed by another exile, in stark contrast to the temporary rescues from Egypt and Babylon [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others understand His rising as an act of taking plunder and spoils from the nations of the world [מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת דוד], while another perspective suggests God will convene to testify against the people [רש״י].
This future judgment and decree is not limited to Israel but is a broad global event [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. God will gather the world's populations to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. A distinction is made between the different groups brought together: there are the masses of people who lack a king and gather easily on their own, and there are the organized states and kingdoms that God will have to specifically assemble [מלבי״ם].
The primary approach among commentators identifies this massive gathering with the apocalyptic war of Gog and Magog [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. An alternative perspective suggests this will not be an attack specifically targeting Israel, but rather a historical clash at the End of Days. In this scenario, Christian forces will arrive to conquer the Land of Israel, only to be met by masses of Muslims from the East and North. A massive war will erupt between them, and God will take vengeance on both sides [אברבנאל].
On that great day, God will pour out His punishment on the nations that harmed Israel. This vengeance includes both the actual curse of punishment and the intense force of His anger [מלבי״ם]. It also stems from God's jealousy for His honor, as the nations worshipped idols [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. Consequently, most of the earth's inhabitants will be punished and consumed by fire [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. There is also a stark warning: if the Israelites continue their wicked ways, they risk being punished alongside the nations [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Ultimately, at the end of this profound purification process, the world will transform, uniting to worship God alone in a clear language—the Holy Tongue [אבן עזרא].