Edition 29. February 15th 2010
In this edition:
●The greatest reunion ever
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A remarkable reunion in Messiah
Before we get into this edition let me just say what it's not about. This is not the British / Israelite doctrine or any similar doctrine claiming that any national group is now the ten lost tribes of Israel. Those are all doctrines of deception based on nationalism and national pride.
What's it all about?
The ten lost tribes of Israel will be "found" again and return, but with a dramatic inclusion. The Bible says it will be so.
Let's do a bit of history firstly. There were 13 tribes of Israel at first, but it is the twelve that we are concerned about here. These were divided into the southern and northern kingdoms. The northern and southern kingdoms were often at odds with each other. The southern kingdom was called the house of Judah and was made up of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, while the northern kingdom was known as the house of Israel or Joseph /Ephraim and was made up of ten tribes. The ten tribes become scattered and "lost" after exile and never returned to the land. In some 2900 odd years the lost tribes have really become truly lost and assimilated into the nations where they found a home.
What a home coming!
Ezekiel 37:16-17, 22 "Take a stick for yourself and write upon it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it: 'For Joseph the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel, his companions.' Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick and they will become one in your hand." Verse 21 "Thus says the Lord, surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land and I will make them one nation in the land."
Now the detective work starts. We need to identify who is who in this spectacular prophecy of reunion.
The first stick is called Judah, the children of Israel. This we can safely identify as the two tribes that were not scattered. The second stick is interesting and more difficult to identify. It is called Joseph and Ephraim.
Ephraim was one of the sons of Joseph through a Gentile Egyptian woman. So Ephraim is essentially Gentile with an Israelite father.
Josephs father, Jacob had his name was changed by God to Israel. In Genesis 48 Joseph brings his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh to be blessed by Jacob (Israel) This is a lengthy passage, but what is of major importance is the fact that the blessing went to Ephraim the younger son first rather than to Manasseh, who was the eldest and should have received the full blessing first. Joseph pointed this out to his father and here is what he said:
Genesis 48: 19 "And his father refused (to change the blessing) and said "I know it my son, I know it: he (Manasseh) shall also become a great people, but his younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." The original Hebrew word used here for 'nations' is the word 'gowy' which means foreign nation or Gentiles. In other words, it's not the nation of Israel! But now we must understand that these Gentile nations are rooted in both Joseph an Israelite and his Egyptian wife, so these Gentile nations are connected to Israel through their father Joseph. In some respects Joseph is also a type of Messiah.
So these Gentile nations are connected to Israel in Messiah as we'll see just now.
Ephraim then, is the modern day Gentile nations into which the ten tribes were assimilated. The prophecy above of Ezekiel 37 doesn't limit the Gentile nations it actually expands them in the term "the companions" of Joseph and Ephraim.
The ten northern tribes of Israel, referred to here as Joseph and Ephraim were scattered abroad. They moved north of Israel into the Gentile nations. They eventually spread into many nations including some in Europe, Russia, Ireland the UK, and much later, the commonwealth countries including the US.
Over time the tribes became assimilated into these Gentile nations.
This is the identity of the 2 sticks:
"Joseph" would be a reference to Jews (Israelites) who are scattered around the world. The house of Ephraim and his companions" is no doubt a reference to Gentile believers in Messiah.
Many Jews have found a home within the Gentile nations and many of these will soon recognise their Messiah. So as the two sticks come together in one they will include the Jews of Israel (Judah) who get saved, the Jews of the world (Joseph) who get saved and the Gentiles of the world (Ephraim) who get saved.
All come together as one in Messiah.
While Israel has been scattered among the Gentile nations, she has found a sanctuary, especially in the UK and US, but has also come under the evil influences of Gentile paganism and evil practices.
Hosea 8:8-14 " Israel is swallowed up now they are among the Gentiles, like a vessel in which there is no pleasure...Because Ephraim has made many alters for sin...Israel has forgotten his Maker."
Amos 9:9 Speaks of the fact that God will scatter and sift Israel among the nations, "yet not one smallest grain will fall to the ground." God knows exactly where His sheep are. In His sight none are lost!
Jeremiah 31:10 "He that scattered Israel will gather him."
Ezekiel 11:16 Although I have cast them far off among the heathen and scattered them among many countries...I will gather you from among the peoples...and I will give you one heart and put a new spirit within you."
Zechariah 10:6 "I will save the house of Joseph, I will bring them back and have mercy upon them. They shall be as though I had not cast them off...Those of Ephraim will be a mighty man."
Yes, in 1948 Israel became a nation again and many wonderful prophecies were fulfilled but this isn't the reunion spoken of here. Israel's nationhood is not her spiritual rebirth. The prophecy that we are concerned about here relates to Israel's spiritual rebirth. The reunification or joining of the two sticks is talking about both houses of Israel ultimately coming to the Lord as one. This full spiritual re-gathering still lies ahead.
The dramatic twist in all of this lies in the final make up of the whole house of Israel.
According to our "two sticks" prophecy above, both houses of Israel will be reunited in the land and in the Lord, but a huge, huge group of many millions of Gentiles from around the world will also be part of this grand reunion and in fact become part of the whole house of Israel.
Amazing New Testament insights.
Shockingly, very few Christians know a single thing about this. Most, including pastors read over these verses of scripture with their church-doctrine glasses on and are blind to what the scriptures clearly and obviously teach. Unfortunately many Christians have been deceived and taught a lot of hogwash by their blind guides and are generally too lazy to check things out for themselves.
The entire message of the restoration and unification of the two houses of Israel is outlined in the New Testament.
James 1:1 "James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." This clearly indicates that the book of James is addressed to the tribes who are scattered abroad.
Mathew 10:5,6 "Do not go the way of the Gentiles...but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." These words from our Messiah are what we call the great commission. Notice who the primary recipients are supposed to be!
John 11:52 "Not for that nation only but also that He would gather in one the children of God who were scattered abroad."
John 10: 6 "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd."
Romans 9:23 " That He might make known the riches of His glory...not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles."
Romans 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentile)"
Can you see what the above verses are saying? The whole of this edition which comes largely from the Old Testament is found right here in the New Testament as well. I wonder why the church ignores this.
As I said in the last edition, the church has grabbed the Jewish fruit and rejected the Jewish root. In fact many churches are coming against Israel in many ways, by not supporting her. She needs to be supported even in her temporary blindness.
Types and shadows:
There are many examples in the scriptures which parallel the joining of the two sticks.
The story of the prodigal son is one, the reunion of Joseph, sent into Egypt with his brothers is another.
The incredible story of the wild and natural olive tree branches in Romans 11 is an exact parallel.
Romans 9 :25-28 "I will call them My people who were not My people...though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of sea, the remnant will be saved"
Summary
Both houses of Israel will be reunited. The lost tribes will be found, saved and will bring with them untold millions of Gentiles believers all into one grand glorious union.
Israel is not complete yet, it will be shortly and with the grand reunion will come untold millions of Gentiles, all united as one in Messiah.
Many gentile Christians want no part with Israel, while there are Jews who want no part with the church. Both are wrong.
All of His sheep will be saved including the "lost sheep of the house of Israel"
God is now doing His final work. It is to reunite all believers, Jew and Gentile as one. The Bible calls these "All Israel"
It's important to understand who "all Israel" is. It's not all Jews nor all Gentiles, it is a remnant within Israel and many Gentiles who ultimately make up "all Israel".
Conclusion:
The Bible plots this drama from start to its a glorious finish. At the end of the day, God's final purpose comes to pass His way, just as it is laid out in the scriptures. God's chosen people become one in Him. believing Jew and Gentile will be united under Messiah.
The church is largely alienated from Israel while Israel is alienated from their Messiah. The church is partially blind to its roots in Israel even as Israel is largely blind to her Messiah in the church. The church has failed by abandoning Israel and Israel has failed to recognising Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah). Neither situation is going to last!! Victory is just around the corner!!
There are not two chosen people, there is one single royal priesthood a Holy nation in the Kingdom of Messiah.
When Gentiles are saved by the Jewish Messiah of Israel, Yeshua Hamashiach, He brings them into His one eternal covenant. When Gentiles get saved they are no longer Gentiles, neither are they Jews. They are one new Kingdom person. Likewise when Jews are saved, they are no longer Jews but part of the great undivided Kingdom of God.
God does not have two covenant people. Yes He has made covenants with Israel, the Jews and the land of Israel itself. Yes He has worked in different ways with the church in this era of Grace. These are all temporary situations along the road to one glorious united Kingdom of God.
The end of the age, which is coming soon, will see Jew and Gentile believer wonderfully glorified together as one. The blood of Messiah will restore and end all bad-blood between brothers. The blood of Messiah is the unifying agent of God.
Hosea 11:10 "They shall walk after the Lord, He will roar like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling from the west."
Hosea 14: 4-8 "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like dew to Israel...Ephraim will say, 'What have I to do with idols anymore."
Heaven or hell:
Young Jew, you need to break from legalism before the sun sets on your life. You have the ten commandments strapped to your forehead, that's the wrong place! You need the love of God in your mind and heart. You do not get saved by obeying or displaying an outward law. Of course I know that love for our Messiah will create in you a desire to obey Him, but salvation is a free gift of the grace of God. This must come first and its exclusive, it only comes through Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah) Works and traditions do not make you right with God. Yes there is a place for them but after the Spirit of God has moved into your heart.
Old lady, one day you will stand up straight again. You will get a new body that will be forever young and you will live forever in your new body, how about that! But what an eternal tragedy if you, in your new body move into hell. Then you will wish you had your old body back again! We are all going to get a new incorruptible body, whether we like it or not, but whose neighbourhood we're going to hang out in forever is dependent upon what we do with the free gift of salvation offered now.
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In closing this edition here is a rendition of our Jewish Messiah, Jesus by Rembrandt.
Kind regards and many blessings...Shalom and grow in grace!
