Israel Is Punished Repeatedly

“‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. ₁₉I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. ₂₀Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
₂₁“‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. ₂₂I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.
₂₃“‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, ₂₄I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. [Lev 26:18-24ff]

Can Israel Still Experience Exile After The Prophet Like Moses Has Been Revealed?

The prophecy about the Prophet like Moses implies he is to be the only of their kind after Moses and so we can be sure that it is under him that God's desire for Israel will be fulfilled. This fact would make it seem like when this prophet appears, there would be no more suffering for Israel. But this is not true.

It is not often acknowledged that Moses as Israel's mediator actually prescribed punishment for Israel. This was during the matter of the 12 spies. While God wanted to wipe off the Israelites at once and start afresh, Moses interceded for God to kill them off gradually. This was why they spent 38 more years in the wilderness. Ultimately, Moses' goal, faithful to his role as mediator was to preserve Israel.

The Prophet like Moses therefore can and will if necessary punish Israel so as to preserve them. Therefore, exile and severe punishments are very possible under the Prophet like Moses and will be if the Israelites are still as rebellious as they were under Moses.

Yes, they can still experience suffering after the revelation of the Prophet like Moses.

Israel's Final Return to God

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever Yahweh your God disperses you among the nations, ₂and when you and your children return to Yahweh your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today,
₃then Yahweh your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. ₄Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there Yahweh your God will gather you and bring you back. ₅He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. ₆Yahweh your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
₇Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. ₈You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. [Deut 30:1-8ff]

Moses' words above tell us that Israel will not forever be rebellious but a time is coming when Israel will return to God and never again turn back from him.

He speaks of a time when they will return and God will give them circumcised hearts. Once this is done, there will be no turning back again to their sinful ways.

Stages in the Prophecy of Israel's Return

1. The curses have come upon the people of Israel and they have been scattered among the nations [Deut 30:1]
2. First Phase of Restoration: They return to Yahweh their God and obey Him with all their souls according to the Law of Moses (if there is a restoration to the land at this point, we can see from the next stage that it is partial). Take note that they are now obedient to God. [Deut 30:2]
3. Last Phase of Restoration: Yahweh restores their fortunes and gathers them from the nations (this tells us that their restoration in the previous stage was partial) [Deut 30:3-6]. Although they have already turned to God with obedient hearts, their hearts will still be circumcised by God [Deut 30:6]
4. Yahweh will punish their enemies [Deut 30:7]

Israel Will Submit to the Prophet Like Moses

One thing is clear, though the Prophet like Moses is initially rejected, Israel will eventually believe in him and obey him in the end. He is the One Israel will follow in the last days,

1. Since the Israelites are to return to God in the end and never again turn from Him,
2. And since the Prophet like Moses is to come after Moses and there is to be none of their kind after Him,

Priests to the Nation

The Israelites become priests to the nations [Exo 19:5].