'Near' in the Bible

Who say, “Let Him move speedily, let Him expedite His work [His promised vengeance], so that we may see it;And let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel approachAnd come to pass, so that we may know it!”

Which sends ambassadors by the sea,Even in vessels of papyrus on the surface of the waters.Go, swift messengers, to a nation [of people] tall and smooth (clean shaven),To a people feared far and wide,A powerful and oppressive nationWhose land the rivers divide.

At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hostsFrom a people tall and smooth (clean shaven),From a people feared far and wide,A powerful and oppressive nation,Whose land the rivers divide—To the place [of worship] of the name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion [in Jerusalem].

As a woman with child approaches the time to give birth,She is in pain and struggles and cries out in her labor,So we were before You, O Lord.

Then the Lord said,“Because this nation approaches [Me only] with their wordsAnd honors Me [only] with their lip service,But they remove their hearts far from Me,And their reverence for Me is a tradition that is learned by rote [without any regard for its meaning],

“You who are far away, hear what I have done;And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

Come near, you nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples!Let the earth and all that is in it hear, and the world and all that comes forth from it.

“Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands,And let the nations gain their strength;Let them come near, then let them speak;Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east].

The islands and coastlands have seen and they fear;The ends of the earth tremble;They have drawn near and have come.

“Assemble yourselves and come;Come together, you survivors of the nations!They are ignorant,Who carry around their wooden idols [in religious processions or into battle]And keep on praying to a god that cannot save them.

“I bring near My righteousness [in the salvation of Israel], it is not far away;And My salvation will not delay.And I will grant salvation in Zion,And My glory for Israel.

“Come near to Me, listen to this:From the beginning I have not spoken in secret,From the time that it happened, I was there.And now the Lord God has sent Me, and His [Holy] Spirit.”

He who declares Me in the right is near;Who will [dare to] contend with Me?Let us stand up to each other;Who is My adversary?Let him approach Me.

“My righteousness (justice) is near, My salvation has gone forth,And My arms will judge the peoples;The islands and coastlands will wait for Me,And they will wait with hope and confident expectation for My arm.

“You will be firmly established in righteousness:You will be far from [even the thought of] oppression, for you will not fear,And from terror, for it will not come near you.

Seek the Lord while He may be found;Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.

As I create the praise of his lips,Peace, peace, to him who is far away [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near!”Says the Lord;“And I will heal him [making his lips blossom anew with thankful praise].”

“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight [superficially] to know My ways,As [if they were in reality] a nation that has done righteousnessAnd has not abandoned (turned away from) the ordinance of their God.They ask of Me righteous judgments,They delight in the nearness of God.

Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me,For I am too holy for you [and you might defile me]!’These [people] are smoke in My nostrils,A fire that burns all the day.