'Afar' in the Bible
He will lift up a flag to [call] the distant nations [to bring His judgment on Judah],And will whistle for them from the ends of the earth;And indeed, they will come with great speed swiftly.
And in that day they will roar against them (Judah) like the roaring of the sea.And if one looks to the land, in fact, there is darkness and distress;Even the light will be darkened by its clouds.
Now what will you do in the day of [God’s] punishment,And in the storm of devastation which will come from far away?To whom will you flee for help?And where will you leave your wealth [for safekeeping]?
Now look, the name of the Lord comes from far away,Burning with His anger, and heavy with smoke;His lips are full of indignation,And His tongue is like a consuming fire.
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;They will see a far-distant land.
“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’Bring My sons from far wayAnd My daughters from the ends of the earth,
Listen to Me, O islands and coastlands,And pay attention, you peoples from far away.The Lord has called Me from the womb;From the body of My mother He has named Me.
“In fact, these will come from far away;And, lo, these shall come from the north and from the west,And these from the land of Aswan (southern Egypt).”
“Lift up your eyes around you and see;They all gather together, they come to you.Your sons will come from far away,And your daughters will be looked after at their side.
“The islands and coastlands will confidently wait for Me;And the ships of Tarshish will come first,To bring your sons from far away,Their silver and gold with them,For the name of the Lord your God,For the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.
I will set up a [miraculous] sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations: Tarshish, Pul (Put), Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands and coastlands that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations.