BASIC
TWO HOUSE
TEACHING
By
Rebbetzin Sherry A. Hord
The following study identifies the Two Houses of Israel, the House
of Israel, known as Ephraim, and the House of Judah, as they are
found in the Scriptures.
The
study begins with their history, and ends with their fulfillment
of the Avrahamic Covenant. It
reveals how the people of Israel have shaped the history of the
world.
The Two House teaching is one of the most important studies
that a believer should have after receiving salvation, and
learning the fundamental doctrines of the faith.
Without proper understanding of the Two House theme of
Yahweh's Word, the believer cannot properly align the First
Covenant with the Renewed Covenant, and that is precisely why
false teaching and religious doctrines have thrived in
Christianity for centuries. This study begins with the ten
instructions of Torah given to the Kings of Israel. All
sources for Scriptures are noted.
Torah
Instructions for the Kings of Israel
Dueteronomy 17:14-20 gives the ten instructions for
the Kings of Israel to follow:
1. The King must be selected by Yahweh, not the people.
2. The King must be an Israelite.
3. He shall not acquire many horses.
4. He must not have many wives.
5. He must not
acquire great wealth.
6. He must write a copy of Torah for Himself.
7. He must read Torah to learn to revere or fear Yahweh.
8. He must carefully follow Torah.
9. He must be humble.
10. He must
not turn away/stray from Torah.
It was paramount for the King to understand that if
Yahweh's instructions were followed, the presiding King of
Israel would be greatly blessed, and his descendants would
continue to reign over the Kingdom of Israel as a dynasty.
Yahweh's
Punishment for a King's Disobedience
I Kings 9:1-9 Yahweh reminded Solomon to obey Torah.
If he did not, the Kingdom of Israel would suffer
consequences. If
Solomon or his sons turned away from Yahweh and did not follow
Torah to serve other elohim/gods or to worship them, THE PEOPLE
KNOWN AS ISRAEL WOULD SUFFER.
The following things would happen:
1. "....., then I will cut off Israel from the
land," I Kings
9:7, NIV.
The Hebrew word for "cut off" is "karath"
which means to be "destroyed,
consumed, cut down."
The basic understanding of the Hebrew here is that the people "Israel" would be left alone in the
gentile/heathen world without Yahweh,
separated from Him, and inevitably enter into a pact or covenant
with an enemy to eventually be destroyed or perish.
2. Solomon's Temple would be "cast out of Yahweh's
sight." The
Hebrew word for
"cast out" is "shalach" meaning "send
away from, forsake, leave, depart
(to remove His presence, the Shekinah glory)."
3. Israel as a nation of people would become a byword (a
proverb, an epigraph
or something amusing from the past and given little thought to),
a thing of mockery, an object of ridicule, scorn, and taunt
among all the people of the
world.
4. Solomon's Temple would be scoffed at.
5. People of the world would instinctively know that the people
called Israel stopped
worshipping Yahweh, and embraced, worshipped, and served other
elohim (gods), meaning to participate in pagan Gentile
religions.
A
King's Disobedience Brings Division to the Nation of Israel
I Kings 11:9-13 tells us that Solomon refused to
obey Yahweh and follow His Torah.
So Yahweh warned Solomon that as a result of his
disobedience Yahweh would tear the Kingdom of Israel in two
(divide in two parts). This
would happen during Solomon's son's reign, and his son would
have only one tribe, Judah, to reign over.
Yahweh would give the Tribe of Judah to Solomon's son for
the sake of David.
A
Divided Kingdom - Two Houses - 931-586 B.C.E.
I Kings 11:26-43
Yahweh sent His prophet Ahiyah to a young man named Yeroboam/Jeroboam.
The prophet tore his new cloak into twelve pieces to
represent the twelve tribes of Israel.
To show Yeroboam what Yahweh intended to do to the nation
of Israel, Ahiyah gave Yeroboam 10 pieces of the torn cloak to
represent ten tribes of the nation of Israel.
Ahiyah then related that Solomon's son would have only one
tribe given to him for the sake of David and the City of Yerusalem/Jerusalem.
The
one tribe given to Solomon's son would be the merger of the Tribe
of Judah with the Tribe of Benyamin/Benjamin and the Levites. Yeroboam would become King over the ten tribes in the north,
and Rehoboam, Solomon's son would be King over the one tribe
merger of the south. The
Kingdom of Israel would be two distinct Kingdoms.
The prophet Ahiyah admonished Yeroboam to follow Yahweh's
instructions so that his Kingdom would be blessed and be a lasting
dynasty to humble the Tribe of Judah for a period of time.
Upper
Division:
Northern Kingdom of Israel - House of Israel (10 Tribes)
I Kings 12:25-33
during Yeroboam's reign over the ten tribes of the north, he
became fearful that his people would continue to go down to the
Southern Kingdom under his rival, King Rehoboam, to celebrate the
Feast Days of Yahweh as they were commanded to do so in
Exodus 23:14-17.
His fear may have been based on several things that most
leaders would face. The
distance and effort to cross over borders might cause his people
to want to live in the Southern Kingdom to be closer to the Temple
in Yerusalem for the Feast Days.
If his people moved to the Southern Kingdom, he would
suffer great financial and agricultural losses, and military
strength in his Northern Kingdom.
The
Golden Calf Worship System of the House of Israel - Northern
Kingdom
To keep his people at home and happy in the Northern
Kingdom, Yeroboam developed the "Golden Calf Worship
System." He
built two temples and strategically placed them in the Northern
Kingdom. One was in
the City of Dan near the upper Northern border close to Mt. Hermon,
and the other in the City of Bethel on the Southern border that
divided the two Kingdoms. The
focus of worship in these temples was a "golden calf."
Yeroboam mixed Torah worship of Yahweh with the revived
Egyptian "golden
calf" Sun-god religion that Israel's ancestors had learned
when they were in Egypt during their 430 years of slavery.
Yeroboam's greatest sin was that he called his newly formed
paganistic religion the true worship of Yahweh.
Exodus 32:1-6
relates how the people of Israel fell back into the "Golden
Calf Worship" while Moshe/Moses was up on Mt. Sinai receiving
Yahweh's Torah instructions for the people of Israel.
These verses give us a clue that the Israelites had
been involved in Egyptian Sun-god worship during their years of
slavery.
According to Egyptian mythology, the Egyptians worshipped
Amen-Ra/Amen-Rah/Rah as their high Sun-god, later called Osiris.
They believed that the gods could not be visibly seen, so
they entered into the bodies of animals so that they could reveal
themselves through the characteristics of the animal.
Amen-Rah/Osiris was believed tobe like a strong and virile
bull, and lived in the body of a special breed of bulls, called
Hap-bulls. These
Hap-bulls were kept in the City of Ptah where the Egyptians formed
molten statues of the Hap-bulls to be used in the religious
ceremonies of worship to Amen-Rah/Osiris.
Eventually the Hap-bull statues became fashioned to look
like a half-man, half-bull creature called Apis, (Egyptian
Mythology, Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2001).
Yeroboam instituted his false worship of Yahweh
approximately 930 years before Yahshua came to earth.
Lower
Division - Southern Kingdom (1 Tribe-Judah, Benyamin, Levites) -
House of Judah
I Kings 14:21-31 tells us that
Rehoboam, Solomon's son, ruled over Judah, the Southern
Kingdom. Scripture
also tells us that the Southern Kingdom did evil in Yahweh's eyes.
1. The people of Judah
were worshipping the sexual, fertility gods and goddesses of
Canaanite/Babylonian origin which dated back to Cush,
Nimrod, and the "Queen of Heaven, " Nimrod's
wife, Simmeranis also known
as "Ishtar, Eostre, Eos, Ostara, Astarte, and Eastre." From the worship of
this goddess, comes the pagan origin of today's Easter
celebrations. Jeremiah
7:18 tells us that even later in Judah's history, the
people of Judah continued to worship this goddess by baking
cakes as offerings to the
Babylonian goddess "Ishtar," (The Two Babylons,
by Alexander Hislop).
2. The people of Judah erected stone pillars and altars, and
fertility poles called Asherah/Asherath poles on hills or high
places. These poles symbolized the "male genital organ."
The Asherah poles, the Egyptian
obelisks, church towers and steeples, the Washington
Monument are all related to
the ancient poles and obelisks of Sun-god worship.
Male prostitution was also engaged in during Judah's worst
sins against Yahweh.
As a result of these sins, Rehoboam's reign suffered.
Solomon's valuable golden shields and articles were stolen
from the Temple in Yerusalem, and continual warfare plagued Judah
which probably drained the Kingdom's treasuries.
The
Nation's Punishment for Disobedience
Dueteronomy. 28:64-68
expressly states that Yahweh's punishment for the nation's (twelve
tribes) disobedience would
be the following:
1. The people would be scattered among all nations throughout the world.
2. They would worship and serve other gods.
3. They would have no repose (peace) nor resting place for their
feet (be on the move;
migrate).
4. They would have anxious minds (anxiety; fear; worry; wishful
thinking), eyes
failing or weary with longing (to desire something unattainable;
crave for), and sorrow of
being (to have self-pity).
5. They would be in constant fear, suspense, and dread.
6. They would have no assurance of their future (complete
uncertainty).
7. They would go back to Egypt once again; Egypt as an example of slavery, hardship, and turmoil found in the world.
Exile
- Punishment Fulfilled
Northern
Kingdom - House of Israel - 732-721 B.C.E.
II Kings 17:1-40 due to their sins of idolatry and
whoredom, the House of Israel, the ten tribes of the Northern
Kingdom were sent into exile as captives of the Assyrian Empire.
The beginning of the exile of the numerously populated ten tribes
of the North began in 745 B.C. E. when Yahweh raised up the
Assyrians to invade the Northern Kingdom, the House of Israel.
Throughout the following years, Assyrians deported huge
masses of Israelites into Assyrian held lands, transplanting them
as laborers within the Assyrian Empire.
Yahweh's punishment was fulfilled upon the House of Israel,
the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel:
1. They would be rejected by Yahweh (Jeremiah 3:8, Hosea
9:17).
2. They would be invaded and taken captive by the brutal
Assyrians (II Kings
17:23).
3. Their lands of the Northern Kingdom would be resettled by
Assyrian captives taken
from other lands (II Kings 17:24).
4. They would be scattered among the Gentile nations (Dueteronomy
4:27;
Ezekiel 36:21). The Israelites were scattered among Assyrian held lands.
After the Assyrian Empire declined, they began to migrate
further away from Assyrian lands. The largest portion of the Israelite refugees
moved north toward the European areas to eventually settle.
In the nations, they would
accept Gentile cultures and adopt heathen religions. The
Israelites would intermingle and intermarry with Gentile people
and have mixed offspring. They
would so thoroughly assimilate that they would become like
Gentiles, thus they became
"invisible" in the world and were believed to be
"lost." They continued
to move from lands to lands to eventually migrate throughout all
the world (Hosea 9:17).
5. They would lose their identity as Israelites, and their conscience would be seared (Hosea 7:8, 8:8). (KJ reads the best on Hosea 8:8.
6. The Israelites would not return to their land in Israel as
the House of Israel, or
the ten tribes, until their hearts returned to Yahweh (Dueteronomy
4:29-
31),
and the prophecies of restoration would be fulfilled Ezekiel
37:21-22; Hosea
2:22-23).
At this point, I would admonish the reader to obtain a copy
of The "Lost" Ten
Tribes of Israel...Found!, by Steven M. Collins at www.nbizz.com/losttentribes. He
has gathered research on the migrations of the ten tribes of the
House of Israel and compiled the information into a marvelous
book.
Hosea's
Life Becomes An Allegory for the House of Israel
Hosea 1:2-10
states that Yahweh called the Prophet Hosea to live out an
allegory regarding the destiny of the House of Israel, the ten
tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
The real life allegorical experience for Hosea was to show
him how Yahweh looked upon the House of Israel and how He would
mete out punishment for their sins.
1. Hosea represents Yahweh as Israel's husband.
2. Gomer represents the House of Israel as an adulterous,
rebellious wife, a spiritual
fornicator and idolator.
3. Their marriage represents an unholy union between Torah and
pagan religion.
4. Jezreel is a Hebrew name that has a dual meaning:
In the negative, it means "to
scatter;" in the positive, it means "to regather."
5. Lo-Ruhamah is a Hebrew word that means "no
compassion."
6. Lo-Ammi is a Hebrew word that means "not my people;" term of rejection. The allegory depicts Yahweh's punishment for the House of Israel, the ten tribes. Hosea and Gomer's marriage depicts how Yahweh sees the House of Israel that was once married to Yahweh, in union with Him, and how Israel as His wife broke the marriage vows. He gave His Torah to Israel at Mt. Sinai as the "ketubah" or marriage contract which they agreed to abide in (Exodus 19:8).
The
three children depict what would happen to the House of Israel:
1. Yahweh would scatter ("Jezreel" in the
negative meaning of the name) the
Israelites among the nations as punishment for their sins;
exile them.
2. He would have no compassion or mercy on them during their
exile.
3. He would strip them of their Israelite identity by saying
they are not His people thereby rejecting them.
However, Hosea 1:10 also reveals five positive
things that would occur with
the House of Israel during their exile among the Gentile
nations of the world.
1. The House of Israel, the ten tribes of Northern Israel would
literally fulfill the Avrahamic Covenant.
The Israelites would become like the sand on the
seashore, so many that they can not be measured or counted
as stated in the Avrahamic Covenant (Genesis 15:5).
NOTE: At
this point, one should realize that the population ratio between
the House of Israel
and the House of Judah from ancient times to modern day has always
been a reality that the "Jews" have been smaller in
number than the Israelites. The
House of Judah can not possibly fulfill Gen.15:5 by itself.
2. At a future time, Yahweh will no longer refer to the
Israelites as "not my people."
They will be reinstated in Yahweh's good favor.
3. Yahweh will call the Israelites "sons of the living
Elohim." In Romans
9:24-27,
Rav Shaul (Paul) refers to Hosea 1:10 in his statement
to the Messianic congregation in Rome. He states that
Yahweh is calling His people
out from not only the Jews but also from among the Gentiles, and
from both Houses a remnant will be saved.
The remnant is Redeemed Israel which
includes the saved from both Houses and non-descendants
from the Gentile world.
4. The House of Israel will be reunited with the House of Judah
under one leader, Yahshua
HaMashiach (Jeremiah 3:18; Ezekiel 37:15-28;Hosea
1:11).
5. They will come up out of the land (earth) in the Day of
Jezreel. This Promise refers
to the positive side of the name "Jezreel" meaning
"to regather." This
Promise also alludes to two deeper levels of spiritual
understanding:
A..
The Israelites along with the Jews will be taken from the
four corners of the
earth to be regathered in Eretz Israel in the near future (Isaiah 11:12).
B.
The Israelite portion of the remnant along with the other
saints will be resurrected
from the earth when Messiah comes in the clouds (1
Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Good
News For the House of Israel
Hebrews 8:8-12 The
Messianic author of the Book of Hebrews understood very well the
plight of the ten tribes, the House of Israel, and the House of
Judah. He was making
note of all the many references in the Prophets concerning
the Two Houses. He
made note that in the "last days" the tribes would
recover their relationship with Yahweh.
In particular, he referenced that Yahweh will put Torah in
the minds of the people of the House of Israel, and write
Torah on their hearts. He
further said that Yahweh will be their Elohim (God),
and they will be His people once more; He will forgive the people
of their sins and remember their sins no more.
Futhermore, Yahweh intends to rename the people of the
House of Israel even while they still exist in exile:
Hosea 1:10b says, "In the place where it was said
to them (House of Israel),
'You are not my people (rejection by Yahweh),' they will be called
'sons of the living Elohim (God)," NIV.
Rabbi
Shaul (Paul) told the congregation of Israelites meeting in Rome
that those of the House of Israel that had returned to Yahweh,
quoting from Hosea 1:10, he exhorted them that they were "the
sons of the living Elohim (God);" they were to remain in a
humble heart and not look down on the House of Judah because they
had not yet returned (Romans 9, 10, 11).
The Israelites will recover their relationship with Yahweh. The following Scriptures all speak of their recovery: Jeremiah 3:11-13, 31:18-20, 33:7-8, 14, 23-26, 50:4-6, 19- 20; Ezekiel 11:17, 36:24-31.
Yahshua Came To Save the House of Israel
Matthew 10:6 says, "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel," NIV.
Matthew 10:6 says, " But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," KJV.
Matthew 10:6 says,
" But rather go to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel," The Scriptures.
The
NIV translation has left out the important word "house"
in the above verse. The word "house" indicates that
Yahshua gave His twelve talmidim (disciples) specific instructions
to seek out the descendants of the House of Israel (ten tribes) to
bring them the Good News.
Matthew 15:24 states, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel," NIV.
Matthew 15:24 states, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," KJV.
Matthew
15:24 states, " I was not sent except to the lost sheep of
the house of
Israel," The Scriptures.
Again
the NIV translation leaves out the word "house" which
clarifies that an important aspect of Yahshua's earthly ministry
was to see that the ten tribes of Israel that were in exile beyond
the borders of Eretz Israel were given the opportunity to hear the
Good News. Yahshua
wanted them to know that their time of exile was over and that
they could return to their Elohim (God).
Matthew 18:11 further says, "For the Son of Adam
(Messiah) has come to
save what was lost," The Scriptures.
That
which is "lost" refers to the ten tribes of Israel, and
their descendants down through their generations.
The Great Commission is a seek, find, save, and restore
mission (Matthew 28:18-20).
The key word in Matthew 28:19
is "nations" for that is where the tribes were to be
found and are to be found even today.
"....To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings," James 1:1, NIV.
The
House of Israel, Ten Tribes of Northern Israel Are Known By Other
Names
The House of Israel is known by several other names in the
Scriptures depending on how Yahweh speaks about them, or depicts
them to the Prophet He speaks to.
We must learn to distinguish the following names that
pertain to the House of Israel.
Scripture examples are given for each name.
1. House of Israel refers to the Northern Kingdom (I
Kings 12:21; Jeremiah
31:31).
2. Samaria is a reference to their state of idolatry or
being like the pagans that Assyria
planted in the Northern Kingdom (Hosea 7:1, 8:5-6, 13:16).
3. House of Joseph because the two tribes resulting from
Joseph's two sons, Manasseh
and Ephraim, literally filled the Northern Kingdom during its existence due to their numbers.
It is also a reference to their numerous
descendants that would continue to fill the nations during
their exile
(I Kings 11:28).
4. Ephraim as a picture of the House of Israel who would
spiritually perish in the
Gentile nations where they were scattered because they had
forsaken Torah; apart from
Torah there is no spiritual knowledge.
It is an allegorical picture
of the House of Israel participating in pagan religions, believing
that they have spiritual knowledge but in fact are destroying
themselves spiritually
(Hosea 4:17, 5:3, 7:1).
5. Manasseh as a picture of the House of Israel seen as
two tribes, Manasseh and
Ephraim at odds with each other (sibling rivalry) but together
carrying hatred toward the House of Judah (Isaiah 9:21).
Exile - Punishment Fulfilled
Southern Kingdom - House of Judah - 605-586 B.C.E.
II
Kings 24:8-17, II Kings 25; Jeremiah 52
tells us that Judah also suffered for their sins against Yahweh.
During the years of 605-586 B.C.E., the Babylonian army
under Nebuchadnezzer invaded the Southern Kingdom of Judah three
times.
The
first invasion occurred in Yehoichin/Jehoichin's reign.
He was taken prisoner along with all the officers and
fighting men, all the craftsmen and artisans, and taken into exile
into Babylon. In 597
B.C.E., the second invasion took place and more captives of the
House of Judah were taken into Babylon.
Then in 586 B.C.E. the Babylonians destroyed Yerusalem,
captured King Zedekiah, and executed officials.
Jewish rabbis, scribes and priests were among those taken
captive by the Babylonians (God Intervenes in the Middle East, by
Marion F. Kremers. Yahweh's
punishment came with the high price of exile into foreign lands
under the heavy yoke of the Babylonians.
Jeremiah 25:11, "This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations (Judah, Benyamin, Levites) will serve the King of Babylon seventy years."
House
of Judah Released From Babylonian Captivity - 536 B.C.E.
The
Book of Ezra tells us that after 70 years of captivity had
passed, King Cyrus of Persia/Babylon announced to the survivors of
the captivity that Yahweh had appointed him to rebuild the Temple
in Yerusalem. The exiles were allowed to return to Yerusalem to help build
the Temple. A remnant
of Judah, Benyamin, and Levites returned to their homeland.
The remainder of the captives chose not to return.
Many remained in Babylon to eventually wander out into
other lands. In those lands, they would be "visible" as
"Jews" because they retained Torah practice.
Whereas the House of Israel would remain invisible and
thought to be "lost" because they adopted pagan
religions and assimilated into Gentile cultures.
Roman
Invasion of Judea - 63 B.C.E. - 70 A.D.
The
rebuilt Southern Kingdom of Judah, then called Judea,
had been re-established for hundreds of years by the time
of the Roman conquest. The
Roman armies invaded Judea in 63 B.C.E. They captured Yerusalem
and the Temple and entered the kodesh place (Holy of Holies).
Judea was then subject to Rome.
At the time of Yahshua's life here on earth, Judea was
still under the occupation of Rome. His talmidim thought that He
had come to deliver them from Roman oppression as the long awaited
and hoped for "Messiah of Israel." "HaTikvah Yisrael," the Hope of Israel, looks to a
time when the twelve tribes are restored under the Messiah and the
Nation of Israel is healed and made whole again Acts
1:6 says, " So when they met together, they asked him,
'Master
(Lord), are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?' " NIV.
Roman occupation of Judea lasted until 70 A.D.
From May to September of that year, there was a Jewish
revolt. Rome's
punishment was horrible, 500 Jews were crucified daily outside of
the City of Yerusalem. On
the 9th of Av, the Roman soldiers entered the "kodesh
place," the Holy of Holies, to plunder its valuables, and the
gold on the building. They
set the Temple on fire to be fully destroyed; it has not been
rebuilt to this day (God Intervenes in the Middle East, Marion
F. Kremers). The remaining Jews were dispersed beyond the Land of
Israel not to return until 1948 A.D.
Daniel 9:26 states,".....The people of the ruler
(Rome) who will come will
destroy the city and the sanctuary," NIV.
Modern
Day Remnant of Judah Returns to Eretz Israel
This study would not be complete if we left out
the creation of the modern State of Israel.
In 1880, the long held Jewish vision to return to the Land
of Israel called "Zionism" came to a reality.
Out of Zionism, emerged the resurgence of the Hebrew
language through the work of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.
During the following years, masses of Russian and Eastern
European Jews fleeing the "pograms"(massacres of Jews,
especially throughout Russia), found their way to the homeland (God
Intervenes in the Middle East, by Marion F. Kremers).
Upon arriving in Israel, they found the following to be
true:
"Your children who follow you in later generations
and foreigners who
come from distant lands will see calamities that have fallen on
the land and the diseases with which Yahweh (the Lord) has
afflicted it. The
whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulphur -
nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on
it....," Duet 29:22-23a.
Out of the hot desert, and malaria-ridden swamplands,
farmlands and small Jewish communities called "kibbutz"
emerged. Life was not easy, and Zionism was not welcomed by the
nations of the world, especially the Arab nations.
During the late 1930's and early 1940's, Jews fleeing
Hitler's regime of WWII also found their way to Israel.
On May 14, 1948, Israel declared itself to be an independent
nation. The next day,
May 15, 1948, the armies of Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, and Iraq attacked the new state.
January 7, 1949, saw Israel's War of Independence come to a
halt with a cease-fire, and the City of Yerusalem divided between
Israel and Jordan. The
Six-Day War broke out in 1967 when Jordan attacked Israel again.
The Jews regained control of the City of Yerusalem and the
Temple Mount. Intense
Arab hatred of the Jews ensued.
On Yom Kippur, October 6, 1973, the Egyptians and Syrians
once again attacked Israel. On
November 11, 1973, a cease-fire was signed.
Years later the Jordanian refugees that were left within
Israel's borders from the war were refused to be taken back by the
Jordanian State. These
Jordanian refugees were left by their countrymen to be at the
mercy of the Jewish State. Israel
allowed them to remain within its borders, provided food and other
amenities, hospitalization, and jobs. These Jordanian refugees
adopted the name "Palestinians" from the Roman name
"Palestine" given to the Land of Israel during Rome's
occupation, and formed the Palestinian "intifada.".
With no where to go but to remain within Israel's borders,
the Palestinian problem arose.
Today, due to international decisions, the Temple Mount is
back in the control of Moslems, Yahweh's cities are devastated by
Palestinian uprisings, and the modern State of Israel hangs onto
the partial recovery of Ertez Israel.
The House of Judah is only one step away from the time of
the regathering of the twelve tribes of Israel, and full
restoration to the Land promised to Avraham's descendants (Genesis
15:7, 17:8, 26:2,
28:13).
The
House of Judah's Future Revealed
Hosea 1:7-11
allows us to understand that Yahweh does not leave the House of
Judah out of the allegory given to Hosea.
At the time of Yahweh's revelation regarding the House of
Israel's future, the House of Judah was momentarily safe from
Yahweh's punishment for its sins.
During the years of 721 B.C.E. to 701 B.C.E., Judah was
saved twice from Assyrian invasion. However, Judah's punishment came in 586 B.C.E. when they were
taken captive into Babylon. The
House of Judah's destiny for many following generations would be
exile among the Gentile nations, the Holocaust of WW II, and Arab
tensions over their present existence as the State of Israel.
Judah has suffered greatly for its sins, but their future
will be equal to the House of Israel one day in the near future:
1. The House of Judah will reap salvation enmasse when the full
number of the
House of Israel who are among the Gentile Nations come into
salvation; so all Israel
will be saved (Romans 11:26).
2. The House of Judah will be taken out from the four corners of
the earth to be regathered to the House of Israel (Isaiah 11:2).
3. The House of Judah will be enjoined to the House of Israel
under one ruler, Yahshua
HaMashiach in the Land of Israel (Jeremiah 3:18; Ezekiel
37:15-28;
Hosea 1:11).
4. The Jewish portion of the saved remnant of Israel will be
resurrected from out of the
earth along with the other saints at the time of Messiah's Return (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
All
Israel Shall Be Saved
Romans 11: 25-27 states, "I do not want you to be
ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be
conceited: Israel
(House of Judah) has experienced a hardening in part until the
full number of the Gentiles (House of Israel, the ten
tribes) has come in (to salvation).
And so all Israel (the twelve tribes) will be saved,
as it is written:
'The deliverer (Yahshua HaMashiach) will come from Zion; he
will turn godlessness away from Jacob (the twelve tribes).
And this is my covenant with them when I take away their
sins,' " NIV. Romans
11:25b
is better translated in the King James Bible which states, "that
blindness in part is happened to Israel (House of Judah), until
the fullness of the Gentiles (House of Israel among the Gentiles)
be come in." The "hardening or blindness in part" means that the
House of Judah, Jewish Israel, in general will not be open to the
Good News until all of the House of Israel, the Israelites, are
spiritually returned from their exile through the salvation work
of the Son of Yahweh, Yahshua HaMashiach, and then the house of
Judah will acknowledge that He is Messiah.
Judah's "saved" numbers today are small in
comparison to the "saved" Israelites due to the
overwhelming numbers of descendants of the ten tribes fulfilling
the Avrahamic Covenant, and the timing factor of Yahweh's
salvation of enmasse for the House of Judah.
Hostilities
Between the Two Houses Will End
Isaiah 11:13 states, "Ephraim's (House of Israel's)
jealousy will vanish, and Judah's enemies will be cut off; Ephraim
(House of Israel) will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile
toward Ephraim," NIV.
The
Two Houses Will Unite to Recover Eretz Israel
Isaiah 11:10-16 speaks
of the future time when the scattered people of both Houses
of Israel will return to the Land of Israel as a united army to
recover the Land from their enemies.
Obadiah 17-21 tells us that at a future time the
House of Jacob, the twelve united tribes of Israel will destroy
the descendants of Esau living on the Land.
The House of Joseph (comprised of Manasseh and Ephraim)
will literally burn out (perhaps bomb) the House of Esau.
A great number of descendants of the House of Esau (Edomites)
are presently occupying space within the borders of the
State of Israel today. They
are the "Palestinians," the unwanted Jordanian
refugees. Their
future looks very bleak according to Obadiah.
Zechariah 9:13 states that at Messiah's Return
Yahweh will "bend Judah as He bends a bow" and "He
will fill it with Ehpraim."
This is a Hebrew idiom that means that the House of Judah
will open up like a bow when its string is pulled back creating a
larger space between the bow and string for the House of Israel to
fill the space. This
literally means that with the House of Israel will join
Judah in the Land, together they will have a military force that
will surpass the greatest armies in history.
It also indicates that the House of Israel will join Judah
already stationed in the Land.
Zechariah 10:3-5 also indicates that the Israelites
will join the House of Judah in the Land of Israel
to become a strong military presence.
Both
Houses Will Take Back the Land of Israel
Genesis 15:18-19 states, " ....To your descendants (Avraham's
seed) I give this land, from the river of Egypt (Nile River) to
the great river, the Euphrates - the land of the Kenites,
Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites,
Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites," NIV. The area of land allotted to the descendants of Avraham covers much
more territory than is held onto by the House of Judah today.
Isaiah 11:10-16 openly states that Yahweh will call
both Houses of Israel from the four corners of the earth,
and together they will take back the Land of Israel from those
that possess it now at this present time.
Both Houses of Israel will recover their land from the
boundaries of the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River which
in
this present day are Iraq and Iran.
Obadiah 17-21 further states that both Houses
together will defeat the House of Esau (Edom), the present
day Palestinians/Jordanian refugees, and will once again possess
the present day area of the Gaza Strip (vs. 18-19).
They will recover the land as far as Zarephath which is in
today's Lebanon (vs. 20), and Sephardic Jews that were in
exile in Sepharad or today's Spain will return to possess the
Southern area of the Negev (vs. 20).
Mt. Zion,
which is presently located in the Palestinian held West Bank, will
be taken back and used by Messiah and His officials as the
official seat of renewed Israel's government (vs. 21).
Zechariah 9:13 states that this will be done through
the combined efforts of both Houses which will promote a military
force even greater than the hero of Greek military history,
Alexander the Great.
Both
Houses Will Settle in Eretz Israel Once Again
Genesis 28:13b-15 says, "....I will give you (Jacob)
and your descendants
the land on which you are lying.
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and
you (and your people) will spread out to the west and to the east,
to the north and to the south.
All peoples of the earth will be blessed through you
(Jacob) and your offspring. I
am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will
bring you back to this land.
I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised
you," NIV.
There is so much expressed in the above Scriptures:
1. The Avrahamic Covenant which states the boundaries of Eretz
Israel in
Genesis 15:18-19 was
passed onto Jacob who's name was changed to
"Israel" by Yahweh in Genesis 32:28.
Jacob's twelve sons and their
descendants also inherit the Land.
2. Yahweh told Jacob that his descendants would be numerous,
beyond man's ability
to count. "To be
as the dust of the earth" is a Hebrew idiom meaning
that there will be so many that it will be beyond man's
ability to count them, but
not beyond Yahweh's ability to know how many.
No human man can have that many children in his life time
so it must mean that generation after generation of descendants up to the present day are counted in that
number.
3. Jacob's descendants would spread out to the east, west, north
and south. This of
course meant that they would fill the Land of Israel in all
directions. To understand a fuller implication here we must go to point
four.
4. Jacob's descendants would bless all the peoples on the earth.
For this to be fulfilled,
they would have to move out of the Land of Israel and migrate to
the four corners of
the earth to reach all the peoples of the earth to bless them. The blessing to the
world by Jacob's descendants would come as a result of the provisions of the
unconditional Avrahamic Covenant.
As Jacob's descendants
moved into Gentile lands thereby filling the earth over
generation to generation,
they carried the blessing of the Avrahamic Covenant with them.
Galatians 3:29 says, "If you belong to Messiah
(Christ), then you are
Avraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise (Avrahamic
Covenant)," NIV.
The above Scripture takes into account that all those that
are saved by faith become the offspring of Father Avraham and
heirs of the Covenant. If
a believer was not a descendant of Israel before salvation then he
became an "Israelite" upon adoption into the family of
Avraham and made an equal heir upon salvation.
There is no separation or disparity in the family of
Avraham between descendants and non-descendants.
The
Avrahamic Covenant - Genesis 17:6-14
1. "I will make you very fruitful,"
vs.6. Avraham will have many descendants.
2. "I will make nations of you (come out of you)," vs.6. Avraham's descendants will form nations (countries) (more
than one).
3. "Kings will come from you," vs.6. Avraham's descendants will be kings (leaders,
presidents, have ruling
authority over nations).
NOTE: There is
no stipulation that this is just
during ancient Israel's time.
4. "I will establish my covenant between me (Yahweh) and
you (Avraham) and your
descendants after you for the generations to come," vs.7. Avraham's descendants will have the same Covenant privileges with
them during their generations.
NOTE: There is
no stipulation of that timing
ending.
5. "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting
covenant," vs.7. There
will be no end or change to this unconditional Covenant, and
Yahweh will be their Elohim.
6. "I will give possession of the land of Canaan to you (Avraham)
and your descendants after
you," vs. 8. The deed to the Land of Israel (ancient Canaan) with its
specified
boundaries was given to Avraham and his descendants as
noted in the in the
Book of Genesis.
7. "The possession of the land of Canaan is an everlasting
possession," vs. 8 The Land of Canaan known as "Israel" belongs to all
of Avraham's
descendants forever.
8. Male descendants in each generation and those males that join Avraham's people are to be circumcised as a sign that they belong to the Avrahamic Covenant or are aligned with the people of the Covenant (vs. 9-16).
NOTE:
Galatians 3: 16-19 seems to stumble many believers.
But when it is taught properly one will see that the
unconditional Avrahamic Covenant is separate from Torah which is
conditional:
"The promises (of the Avrahamic Covenant) were spoken
to Avraham and his seed.
The Scripture does not say "and to his seeds"
(meaning all of his sons which would include Ishmael), meaning
many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person,
who is Messiah
(who was born of the Tribe of Judah, one of
the twelve tribes originating from Jacob).
What I mean is this: The Torah (law), introduced 430 years
later (after the Avrahamic Covenant was given),
does not set
aside the covenant (Avrahamic) previously established by Elohim
(God) and thus do away with the promise (Avrahamic Covenant). For if the inheritance depends on Torah (the law), then it
no longer depends on a promise; but Elohim
(God) in his favor (grace) gave it to Avraham through a
promise," NIV.
Torah's
Relationship to the Avrahamic Covenant
It is important to understand the following about Torah:
1. Torah was given 430 years after the Avrahamic Covenant was
established.
2. Torah was given as a "conditional" covenant between
Yahweh and His people
Israel. Both
parties agreed to its provisions.
An "unconditional" covenant
takes only one party to agree to fulfill the provisions of
the covenant.
3. Torah was given in addition to the Avrahamic Covenant for the
purpose of ruling
over the Nation of Israel, and to reveal Yahweh's rule to the
Gentile nations.
4. Torah does not change the Avrahamic Covenant.
5. Torah was conditional and thus could be ratified by Yahshua's
Blood.
6. Disobedience to Torah does not disqualify one from inheriting
the Avrahamic
Covenant.
NOTE:
The author does not condone disobedience to Torah in
any way or measure. The
intention is to point out the "unconditional" aspect of
the Avrahamic Covenant.
7. Torah was given because of transgression.
8. Torah is not opposed to the Avrahamic Covenant.
9. Torah was given to lead the people to faith in Yahweh and to
see their
physical need of salvation and deliverance through Yahweh's
Messiah.
10. The
physical Torah written on stone became a "living spiritual
Torah" with Yahshua's
fulfillment of the physical Torah.
Yahshua did not put an end to Torah but completed the
physical aspect of Torah.
He did this by living out Torah completely as a member of
the Nation of Israel so that He could release the
"living spiritual Torah" through His death.
His death changed Torah existence on earth from a physical
manner of worship based on works which included Yahweh's
"curses" or retributions for disobedience to His
instructions, to a spiritual fulfillment based on faith.
Yahshua, who is Torah, came in the physical realm of man to
abide for awhile in order to perfectly fulfill all
"works" of the physical Torah that man was incapable of
doing. Yahshua's
physical body dying on the cross is a picture of
"Yahweh's physical curses or retributions" of
Torah dying or ending by way of the cross.
Yahshua's resurrection is a
picture of the "blessings" of Torah being
separated from the "curses" of Torah; the "blessings" of Torah being released from
the physical Torah to be made anew in the "Spirit of
Torah." The
"curses" of Torah
(law) were nailed to the cross so that we could be forgiven of our
sins and not reap the "curses" of
Torah for our future sins.
Surely, we continue to sin but do not have to receive the
retribution of those sins any longer.
Colossians 2:13b-15 states, "....He forgave us all
our sins, having canceled
the written code, with its regulations (curses), that stood
against us (the curses were the only part of Torah against us); he
took it away (curses), nailing it (curses) to the cross," NIV.
Colossians 2:13b-15 states,"....having forgiven you
all trespasses; Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances (curse) that was against us,
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the
cross;" KJV.
The
Torah given to Moshe contained 613 instructions. The Ten
Commandments or Decalogue were given first to be the foremost
national and individual instructions.
The remaining 603 instructions were given in particular
categories to govern the society.
In
these 603 instructions, there were 248 positive "the
Do's" instructions that brought blessings when followed, and
the remainder were 365 negative "the Do Not Do's" that
reaped only negative retribution or curses from Yahweh.
These 365 negative "Do Not Do" were the
regulations that stood against us; they were the ordinances of
Torah that were against us.
Is Torah valid for today; must we keep Torah today? Yes, as the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) instructs us we must
obey His instructions which never deviate from Torah. Are all the
teachings of Torah applicable to us today?
No, some have changed.
Today we do not have the official Levitical priesthood of
ancient Israel. But we have the spiritual continuation of the Levitical
concept of being "a kingdom of priests and holy nation" (Exodus
19:5-6) and (I Peter 2:9).
We no longer have the sacrificial system to practice
because Yahshua became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins
(Hebrews
10:12).
But we are to continue to remember His death as a memorial
during the Passover observance (I Corinthians 11:26).
Are we to continue to keep Passover even though Yahshua
fulfilled it? Yes,
because fulfill does not mean to end or do away with. Rav Shaul (Paul) speaks very clearly to the believers in
Corinth about keeping Passover, " Therefore let us keep
the Festival....," I Corinthians 5:8, NIV.
Scriptures
Confirming the Return of the Twelve Tribes to Eretz Israel
Isaiah 11:12, 27:12-13; Jeremiah 3:14-18, 16:14-15, 23:7-8,
31:1-10, 13-17, 27-28, 33:7-11, 14; Ezekiel 36:6-12, 28-38,
37:21-26, 47:13; Hosea 1:11, 2:22-23; Amos 9:14-15; Micah 7:8-20;
Zechariah 8:1-13, 10:6-12.
Restored Israel Will Bless the People of the World and Be a Nation of Priests
A Nation to Bless the World
Genesis 12:2-3 says, "I will make you (Avraham) into a
great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name (Israel)
great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who
bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on
earth will be blessed through you," NIV.
During ancient Israel's day, the Kingdom of Israel was the
most blessed nation upon the face of the earth.
The nation was widely acclaimed and highly honored for its
wonderful state of existence.
This will be
true of the nation once again during the future Messianic Kingdom
Age. Yahweh will have
the Restored Nation of Israel even more
honored, renowned and celebrated than that of the past.
It will be greater than any nation or empire that He has
set-up through the Israelite migrations. Israel will always be Yahweh's best here on earth.
No nation on earth will ever surpass it, not even the
empires that have passed, and the ones which will pass in the
future including the Western Democracies.
Dueteronomy 26:19 states, "He has declared that he
will set you (Israel)
in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made
and that you (Israel) will be a people set-apart (holy) to Yahweh (the Lord) your Elohim (God),
as he promised," NIV.
Today, Yahweh's Promise of the future restored Nation of
Israel is within the hearts of
believers. Luke
17:21b says, "....because the kingdom of Elohim (God)
is within you," NIV. This will be until Yahshua
HaMashiach returns to earth and then the world will see Yahweh's
Reign on earth once again.
Avraham's people are the most blessed individuals on earth.
They in return have blessed the world beyond measure.
Everywhere the descendants of Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob have gone,
they have contributed to humanity's best. Through the Avrahamic Covenant, Yahweh mapped out the destiny
of the world, and used His people to fulfill His Will for the
earth.
The true destiny of the world is predicated by the
Avrahamic Covenant. The
Avrahamic Covenant has placed Yahweh's people throughout the
earth. He has used
them to build great nations throughout the centuries and extend
ruling power over the world for the benefit of all people on
earth. This provision
of the Covenant will continue
until Yahshua personally returns to set up His Messianic
Kingdom at which time the whole world will then be under His
authoritative rule. In
other words, Avraham's descendants are Yahweh's chosen settlers of
the earth, and have become rulers over their established nations
of the earth until Messiah returns.
At this point, we must understand that the
"blessing" which has benefited all the peoples of
the earth comes by way of only Avraham's descendants.
This capacity for
blessing comes through these descendants in many ways:
1. Through ruling power or the establishment of well-organized
governments that are concerned about their people's welfare.
2. Through strong economies and banking systems.
3. Through vast global food production and trade.
4. Through large militaries and peacekeeping abilities.
5. Through past seafaring explorations throughout the
territories of the earth, and space exploration of modern times.
6. Through great advancements in technology, invention,
industry, science and medicine,
and many other areas.
One can only envision the extent of the Avrahamic Covenant
that has already been employed on the earth and delegated down
through the centuries for the betterment of humanity.
The great nations that resulted from the working out of the
Avrahamic Covenant reaped great prosperity during their imperial
heights. In direct
contrast, one can see the poor state of the nations on the earth
that have traditionally refused to be blessed by the abilities of
the Avrahamic Covenant and its proprietors.
A
Kingdom of Priests
Yahweh's Plan has always been to have the people of Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a nation that is set-apart from the other nations of the world:
Exodus 19:5-6 says, "Although the whole earth is
mine, you (Israel) will
be for me a kingdom of priests and a set-apart (holy)
nation," NIV.
Leviticus 20:26 states, "You (Israel) are to
be set-apart (holy) to me because
I, Yahweh (the Lord), am set-apart (holy), and I have set you
(Israel) apart from the nations to be my own," NIV.
Dueteronomy 7:6 states, "For you (Israel) are a people
set-apart (holy) to Yahweh (the Lord) your Elohim (God).
Yahweh (the Lord) your Elohim (God) has chosen you
(Israel) out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be
his
people, his treasured possession," NIV.
Isaiah 27:6 further states, "In days to come Jacob
(twelve tribes) will take root (return to Eretz Israel to
stay), Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with
fruit," NIV.
To
some extent fulfillment of the above verse has begun to take
place. A minority of
the House of Judah has returned to the Eretz Israel to settle.
Agricultural exports from Israel are finding their way into
the modern world. But
spiritually speaking, there is a deeper implication to this verse.
It is referring to the time of the Messianic Kingdom Age
under Yahshua HaMashiach. Under
His care, Renewed Israel will
bud and blossom spiritually and fill all the earth with spiritual
fruit, the Word of Yahweh and Way of Torah.
Yahweh's ancient Israel once stood before all the earth to
testify to His Name and to His Word, Torah.
In the future, Yahshua will return to set-up Yahweh's
Kingdom in perfection. The
time span between these two Kingdom times leaves the
Kingdom of Yahweh virtually invisible because "the Kingdom of
Yahweh is with us." So,
with the "light" or the spiritual knowledge of the
Kingdom that is coming residing in us, we are therefore to
"shine" that light and preach the gospel of the Kingdom
to others:
Matthew 24:14 says, "And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in
the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come," NIV.
Matthew 24:14 says, "And this Good News of the reign
shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all the
nations, and then the end shall come," The
Scriptures.
Today, with the Kingdom within us, we are to manifest the
light of the knowledge of the Kingdom Coming.
We are to be the living examples of Yahweh's Plan for His
people, redeemed Israel, because we are, "....like living
stones, are being built into a
spiritual house to be a set-apart (holy) priesthood, offering
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Elohim (God) through Yahshua
HaMashiach," I Peter 2:5, NIV.
We
are not to fall into unbelief and disobey this message of Yahweh's
Kingdom because we are destined to be a part of the Messianic
Kingdom Age.
I Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a set-apart (holy) nation, a people belonging to
Elohim (God), that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness (the world including its religions) into his
wonderful light (the light of Yahweh is Torah wisdom)," NIV.
NOTE: At
this point, the author would like to confront you with a
controversial question. As
a believer, what "gospel of the kingdom" message are you
following? There are
two gospel messages in the world today, and two kingdom messages
preached. Really, can that be true?
Oh, yes, definitely!
1. The Gospel or Good News of Yahshua's HaMashiach's atonement
for sin
accomplished through His death for the descendants of
Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the people of Israel, and all others that will believe
on His Name; His burial and
resurrection that set us free from the curses of Torah.
The purpose of the
Gospel of the Kingdom is to go throughout all the nations of the
world to look for the "lost sheep of the House of Israel" to
tell them that their exile is over
and they are forgiven by Yahweh, and can return to Him to be
"regathered" and "restored" as the
Kingdom of Israel. The
first step of "restoration"
is to be restored to Yahweh's Torah, and strive to be among the
"saved remnant" which will be the Bride of
Yahshua, wearing her "bleached
linen" garment of righteous acts stemming from a
renewed faith in Yahweh (Revelation
19:8).
2. Or the manmade religious gospel or lying news that comes from the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus Christ (manmade name and religious icon) died on the cross for people's sins; if you ask him into your heart you will be saved; go to church because that is the kingdom of God on earth; the "universal" or worldwide church is the Bride of "Jesus Christ," and you will go to heaven because that is where the church is going, regardless of its sins, because the church is the Bride (theology that stems from the Roman Catholic "universal" Church and retained by Christianity).
May the reader decide which gospel or Good News lines up
with the true Word of Elohim (God).
The
Scepter Shall Return to Tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10 says, "The scepter will not depart from
Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he
(Shiloh) comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations
is his," NIV.
Psalm 2:6-9 also
states that Yahweh will install His Son, Yahshua HaMashiach, as
King over Israel, and He will reign from Mt. Zion; Torah
will be proclaimed (and taught); Yahshua will inherit all the
nations of the world to be their ruler, and He will rule with an
"iron scepter."
This "scepter" or ruling power belongs to the
Tribe of Judah. The power of the scepter is mandated on the wisdom
and instruction of Torah. The "teachers of Torah" were to come from the Tribe
of Judah. The Ten
Commandments were given by Yahweh to be Israel's constitution, and
the 603 remaining commandments were given to rule over various
segments of the Israel's society, marriage, judicial, loans, etc.
The teachers of Torah were to teach Yahweh's instructions
to the people, explain them to the people for whatever
circumstance arose, thereby ruling over the people.
Yahshua was born as a member of the Tribe of Judah which
enables Him to take the "scepter," the ruling power,
over the restored Kingdom of Israel. This will be His Duty as the Messiah of Israel during His
Messianic Kingdom Age. However,
Yahshua's ruling power will extend beyond Israel's borders to be
over the entire world.
Where has the "scepter" been since the Nation of
Israel went into exile for its sins?
For a while the scepter left the Land of Israel with the
Jews that went into exile in Babylon.
It then returned with them when the remnant returned from
Babylon to rebuild Yerusalem.
Years later, when Yahshua came to the House of Judah, He instructed
The Parable of the Tenets" to the "teachers of
Torah," (Matthew 21:43).
He basically told the House of Judah that as "teachers
of Torah" they had failed because they no longer had faith in
Yahweh, so He would take the reign, ruling power, kingdom rule of
Elohim (God) from them and give it to a people who would be
fruitful in their responsibility of teaching Yahweh's commands
because they would have faith.
The ruling power based on Torah wisdom would pass
temporarily from Judah's hands to another as a result of unbelief.
To whom would the "scepter" pass to?
The only possibility is to the House of Israel scattered
among the nations. Would
Yahweh give the "scepter" to a Gentile people?
To find the answer, we must look at the Greek word
"ethnos" used in Matthew
21:43.
The word "ethnos" is translated as "people,
tribe or nation" but actually implies that the
"ethnos" are Gentile, heathen, pagan people, tribe or
nation. So, would the
"scepter" be given to a Gentile people?
Since Yahshua's death, the "scepter" of ruling
power has been temporarily with the House of Israel scattered
among the Gentile nations. However,
in the hands of the House of Israel, the power of the scepter
seems to have been somewhat dimmed.
The House of Israel used the authority of the scepter to
set-up nations or empires in the world and to rule over them, but
they chose not to become "teachers of Torah" for their
empires. Instead, the
House of Israel chose to follow the way of the "church,"
a mixture of Torah teachings thought to be over and done with and
pagan Sun-god worship, thereby diluting the scepter's power.
The scepter's full ruling power and authority will return
to the Tribe of Judah when Yahshua returns.
For further understanding and deeper insight on the
scepter's whereabouts, go online to www.yourarmstoisrael.org
and read The Mystery of the Hidden Scepter by Rabbi Moshe
Yoseph Koniuchowsky.
The
Throne of Yahweh Will Return to Restored Israel
Jeremiah 3:17-18 tells
us that in the day of the House of Israel and the House of Judah's
re-uniting, Yerusalem will be called "The Throne of Yahweh
(the Lord)." All
the nations of the world will go to Yerusalem to honor the Name of
Yahweh, and they will no longer follow the stubbornness of their
evil hearts. The
nations will be under the Messiah's control.
Isaiah 2:2-4 states that Torah will go out from Mt.
Zion; the people will be taught from Torah so that they may be
walk in His paths; righteous judgment based on Torah wisdom will
settle disputes between the nations so that there will be no war.
Ezekiel 37:26-28 further tells us that the twelve
tribes of restored Israel will have an everlasting covenant
of peace with Yahweh (they will never be banished into exile
again); they will increase in numbers again greatly; Yahweh will
place His sanctuary in their midst and dwell with them as He once
did in ancient Israel.
Joel 3:16-17 says that Yahweh's voice will be heard
from Mt. Zion where Yahshua will reign from, and His presence in
Yerusalem will make the earth and sky tremble and shake. But He
will be a refuge, a protective dwelling place for His people
Israel, and foreigners, the heathen, will not set foot in the City
of Yerusalem again.
Zechariah 14:16-19 firmly states that the people of
all the nations that attacked Yerusalem will be commanded to go
annually to worship Yahshua HaMashiach, the King of Israel, and
celebrate "sukkot," the Feast of Tabernacles. This will
be a humbling experience for the Gentiles to live in a "sukkah"
or makeshift structure/lean-to for 8 days in honor of ancient
Israel's Torah commandments (Leviticus 23:33-36;
Dueteronomy 16:13-17).
Additional Information to Go With the Study of the Two Houses of Israel
Joseph,
Son of Jacob
To complete this study on the Two Houses of Israel, we must
take a deeper look into the Scriptures regarding Joseph, son of
Jacob (Israel). Before
Jacob's death, he blessed his twelve sons and their descendants.
To Joseph he said the following blessing:
Genesis 49:22-26 states, "Joseph is a fruitful vine
(or tree), a fruitful vine
(or off-shoot of a tree) near a spring (or fountain) whose
branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked
him; they shot at him with hostility.
But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the
Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father's Elohim
(God), who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you
with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that
lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.
Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of
the ancient mountains (ancestors), than the bounty of the age-old
hills. Let all these
rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his
brothers (because he was separated from his brothers)," NIV.
Breaking this down, we can see that Joseph is promised to
have a several things:
1. His offspring or descendants will be great in numbers
(fruitful vine or family
tree); so many in fact, that they will spread out over
their boundaries like a vine sprawls out or how branches of trees spread out over
walls. This is a
prophecy of how
Joseph's descendants will fulfill the Avrahamic Covenant
while they are scattered among the nations of the world.
2. The Gentile nations will be jealous and hostile toward the House of Joseph as they settle throughout the world and build empires and govern over nations through their leadership or "scepter" authority.
3. They will remain throughout their generations because Yahweh
watches over them as
He fulfills the Avrahamic Covenant.
4. Joseph's descendants will receive greater success and
material wealth than
anyone else.
The
House of Joseph - Manasseh and Ephraim
The
people that come from Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim,
will literally fulfill the Avrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:2-3,
17:5-8). The
Tribe of Manasseh was the largest populated tribe in the Northern
Kingdom of Israel. When scattered
among the Gentile nations along with the other tribes of the House
of Israel, the two
tribal brothers, Manasseh and Joseph, would align closely to one
another throughout their exile.
Their migrations as a large mass of people, would move them
toward the North and Northwest to eventually settle throughout the
European areas of the world.
Later, smaller numbers would migrate even further West to
settle in North America.
The
House of Israel Becomes Known as Ephraim
In the Scriptures, Yahweh refers to all of the House of
Israel as "Ephraim," alluding to their similar sins of
idolatry. We can see
idolatrous "Ephraim"
by light of the Scriptures:
1. Yahweh loves Ephraim but not their sins (Hosea 11:7-9).
2. Yahweh refers to the two tribal brothers, Manasseh and
Ephraim, by the
same name of Ephraim because both are in the same idolatry.
3. Ephraim is located in the West (direction of their migration
and Western
Democracies; both Ephraim and Manasseh are to the West
because they
are mixed together to a large degree) (Hosea 11:10).
4. Ephraim lies to Yahweh and to the House of Israel (Hosea
11:12).
5. Ephraim feeds on the wind (air, breath, anger, exchange
violent words)
(Hosea 12:1).
6. Ephraim pursues foreign policies and trade with enemies (Hosea
12:1).
7. Ephraimites are great merchants but use lies, dishonesty, and
fraud in their business
dealings (Hosea 12:7).
8. Ephraimites are very wealthy and take pride in their wealth.
They believe their
wealth hides their sins (Hosea 12:8).
However, Yahweh can see through
Ephraim's pride, and He can see their "hidden" sins.
The congregation of
Laodicea is a picture of Ephraim throughout the generations and
can be applied to the
"Laodicean Church" today.
Revelation 3:17-18 states, "You say,
'I am rich; I have acquired wealth
and do not need a thing.'
But you do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined
in fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear,
so you can cover your
shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see,
" NIV.
9. Ephraim provokes Yahweh to bitter anger for their sins (Hosea
12:14). Ephraim is
found in "church" religions until their hearts are
"revived" and they are returned to the "living
spiritual Torah" which isYahshua HaMashiach.
The
Two Types of Believers in Ephraim
Within Ephraim there are two types of believers.
The meaning of the names of Manasseh and Ephraim give us a
clue to the characteristics of the two types of believers.
1. The Hebrew name "Manasseh" means "to
forget/forgetfulness." Thereby,
the name "Manasseh" becomes a view of the
children of the House of Israel who "forget"
their Elohim and His Torah. In
their exile, they moved out among
the Gentiles and adopted pagan ways and religions to their liking. A characteristic of
"Manasseh" type believers are those Israelites that even
after hearing the Good News
that their sins are forgiven through Yahshua's death, and they can return to Yahweh, they do not want to totally
let go of the "pleasures"
found in the Gentile cultures and religions.
They are only willing
to accept Torah as a history book, and continue to worship
their Gentile church "gods."
Today, the majority of the House of Israel, the
"Manasseh" type believers,
are primarily found in the Christian Church, and its offshoot
religions. Christianity
is a "Manasseh" type religion that extends from the
Roman Catholic Church.
It is a "Manasseh" religion that continues to mix
Yahweh's Torah, as a history book, with pagan worship that
is centered around
the same manmade religious "icon" as the Roman Catholic
Church, Jesus Christ.
Christianity and Roman Catholic theology both replace
Yahweh's Israel with the "universal church."
Christianity has flourished
especially within the Western nations because the
"Manasseh" type believers
have "forgotten" their Hebrew roots.
2. The Hebrew name "Ephraim" means "double
blessing or double fruit."
Thereby, the name is characteristic of those Ephraimites
that spiritually rise above
the "Manasseh" type believers and come out of
"Manasseh" type religions.
These saved Ephraimites reveal the double nature of the
Ephraim name:
great material wealth that Manasseh and Ephraim have both
enjoyed as a result of
their father, Joseph's blessing, and added to that they receive
greater spiritual wealth than Manasseh type believers.
From these highly spiritual
"Ephraimite" type believers will come the
"remnant" believers who
will form the "Bride of Yahshua HaMashiach."
They will be the "Bride"
because they reject the "Manasseh" religions, and
return to Yahweh, His Torah,
and walk in their Hebrew roots.
A
Torah Remnant Appears in Ephraim
Found among the Manasseh church "forgetfuls," are
Ephraimites that have a uniqueness in their hearts that enables
them to reach a point in their lives when they realize that their
personal wealth and Gentile way of life no longer satisfies their
hearts. They are a
picture of Yahweh's remnant people who have settled among the
Gentile nations, who have assimilated into Gentile society but yet
struggle deeply with Gentile religion.
At some point in time, their hearts begin to yearn to
return to their Elohim but they can not find Him in the Gentile
world and religions. When
they hear the Good News of the Kingdom that is being revived
today, they welcome the salvation message and desire to be
restored to their Elohim and His Spirit of Truth.
They desire
to
learn His Torah, and truly look for Messiah's Return as they
diligently work for the restoration of the Messianic Kingdom Age. These are the "sons of the living Elohim," that are
"doubly blessed" and show forth "double spiritual
fruit," the "Spirit of Truth" and the "living
Torah," Yahshua HaMashiach.
Judah
Keeps the Torah In Their Midst
Unlike the House of Israel, the House of Judah has retained
Torah in its midst. But their religion today is more devoted to
rabbinical traditions than to Yahweh's Torah.
They, too, have spiritually "forgotten" Yahweh
and have replaced the "Spirit of Torah" with planting
"good" works among the nations as their way of
salvation. But
because Judah has retained Torah in its midst, and when the Good
News of Yahshua HaMashiach's atonement for sin is preached to
Judah, and they believe, the "Spirit of Torah" returns
to Judah. Also upon
salvation, the ruling authority of the "scepter" returns
to Judah giving Judah the responsibility to teach Torah to the
redeemed Israelites. Saved
Judah is included in the remnant or Bride of Mashiach.
Thereby, The House of Israel and the House of Judah, all
"Israel," shall be saved.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Rabbi Moshe Yoseph
Koniuchowsky of Your Arms To Israel ministry in Miami, FL,
for the wonderful Sacred Name, Two House teachings that he has put
forth to the Body of Moshiach under the guidance of the Ruach
HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Without
his teaching and shepherding through the Word of Yahweh, this
study would not have been accomplished to the extent that it is
done.
Throughout the study, credit to other authors was given
particularly for historical reference.
Credit is also due to researcher and author, John Hulley
for his booklet Ephraim WHO??, A Step by Step Bible Study on
the Lost Tribes of Israel In the
Old and New Testaments, published by his wife Jill Hulley.
SHABBAT KALLAH MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL
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