The State of Israel was Predicted and was a Step in the Process

Interesting tidbits that I gathered that show that the quasi-sovereignty that the Jewish people have over the Land of Israel has its place as part of the Geula:

• I found the Malbim on Yirmiya 31:6 quoted on this site:

  "וצהלו בראש גויים", שבאחרית ימי גלותם יוסר מעליהם השעבוד, ויצהלו כי יהיו בראש הגויים, שהגויים יתנו להם כבוד ויהיו בראשם, תחת שהיו תחילה נבזים ושפלים ביניהם. והנה יעקב הם המון עם והפחותים שבהם, וישראל הם הגדולים. והשמחה הזאת שיצהלו בראש הגויים יהיה רק ליעקב, לא לישראל, שהם ירצו שישיב שכינתו לציון. אבל אז בעת ההיא השמיעו והכריזו בפרסום, והללו את ה' על ידי מה שתאמרו הושע ה' את עמך הצדיקים, את שארית ישראל. שהם רוצים בתשועה האמיתית מקיבוץ גלויות ושיבתם לציון. וכן יהיה אז, כי ה' ישיב להם הנני מביא אותם וכו"'.

  
  This means that the Malbim, who lived in the 19th century, predicted that at the end of the exile, serving other nations would be lifted and the other nations would give the Jewish people honor. However, the jubilation was only for Yaakov - not for Yisrael, who knows that the process is not over.


• Ari from Geulah Perspectives linked to an awesome Kuntres written in English by R' Daniel Krentzman. The whole thing is great, but here is what he writes on Micha:
  

  
  "...בת ציון עדיך תאתה ובאה הממשלה הראשנה ממלכת לבת ירושלים"
  
  “..daughter of Tzion, they will come back to you; and the first kingdom will arrive, the kingdom of the daughter of Yerushalayim” (Michah 4:8)
  
  Malbim explains that Michah is describing the future period of the “End of Days”. In the first part of the verse above, “they will come back to you” refers to the ingathering of the exiles, from the time of the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash until today. These are the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin, who will return to Eretz Yisrael and Tzion.
  
  When the exiles return to Eretz Yisrael in the “End of Days”, “the first kingdom will arrive”. Thus refers to what the Malbim calls a:
  
  "ממשלה קטנה", a “minor sovereignty”, which will possess a measure of power and control over the nation and the land, similar to the period of the Shoftim, before there was a kingship over Yisrael. During that time, the people will have temporary leaders as in the days of the Shoftim.
  
  Then, this minor and temporary sovereignty of the Jewish people progresses into “the kingdom of the daughter of Yerushalayim”, which is the fixed and everlasting kingship of the house of David, with Mashiach ben David.
  
  According to the Malbim, the sovereignty of the kingship of Mashiach ben David will develop from a minor state to a prominent one, where at first, Mashiach ben David will lead on the level of a Shofet, slowly gaining influence until Hashem’s sovereignty is fully manifest through his kingdom.
  
  This is Michah’s vision of the future return of the exiles, their re-established sovereignty in the land, and ultimate establishment of the kingdom of the house of David.
  
  May it be fulfilled soon.



• The song that is found in the Nirtza section of many Ashkenazic Hagadot is called ויהי בחצי הלילה - which tells of all the miracles that occurred on the night of the 15th of Nissan. However, the last stanza gives a prediction for the future that starts like this:
  
  קָרֵב יוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוּא לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לַיְלָה
  
  The day that is not day and not night is near. This is based on Zecharia 14:7
  
  וְהָיָה יוֹם-אֶחָד, הוּא יִוָּדַע לַיהוָה--לֹא-יוֹם וְלֹא-לָיְלָה; וְהָיָה לְעֵת-עֶרֶב, יִהְיֶה-אוֹר
  
  And there shall be one day which shall be known as the LORD'S, not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.
  
  There seem to be many interpretations of this verse, but Rashi on that verse is very interesting:
  

  והיה יום אחד - והיה הדבר הזה יום אחד מיומו של הקב"ה הוא היום ידוע שהוא להכנת ישעו של הקב"ה
  לא יום ולא לילה - לא אור נוגה באור של עולם הבא שנאמר (ישעיהו ל) ואור החמה יהיה שבעתים כאור וגומר ולא לילה ולא עת צרה כצרת שיעבוד גליות שמקודם שימי משיחנו יהיו ואין בהם שיעבוד
  והיה לעת ערב - קודם שיגמרו אלף שנה יהיה אור הנוגה וכל הטוב האמור על ישראל וכן ת"י לא כנהור יומא ולא כקבל ליליא

  
  Rashi seems to say that the preparation for Mashiah's arrival will last 1000 years, during which it will not be a time of servitude, but will not be a time of complete redemption either. This seems to be the situation we're in now, but we hope that the 1000 years is untrue - it cannot be true before the year 6000 anyways. We can still say פלגינן דיבורא - we agree that this period exists, just not for 1000 years.


• The "famous" (at least to me) Midrash in Shir Hashirim Rabba 6:16 on how the Redemption is first Kim'a Kim'a - it starts very minute and eventually, gets bigger as time goes on.


• R' Gil Student's essay on Religious Zionism, p. 12

I'm sure there are other proofs to this. Please let me know others if you have them.