The Migrations of Israel---Part III
(Where the "Lost Tribes" Ended up)
By Liaf
If we look to the Bible and study all the prophecy regarding Israel, we see that much of it makes sense when we interpret it in the context of Lost Tribes. Do you know that about 7/8 of the Bible is misunderstood because prophecy to Israel is applied to the Jew? Needless to say, that is why many contradictions arise. Skeptics are quick to point out that since God did not keep his promises to the "Jew", that the Bible is false. Many folks that are into eschatology stuff just keep pushing the promises off to the millennium when in reality many of the promises to Israel are clearly for this age. In other words, if we do not see their fulfillment the way we think they should come to pass, then we just say that they did not happen yet. This future haven is a cop-out if you ask me. As for liberal theologians, I don’t understand how they have any faith at all. They don’t even believe in a literal Kingdom or reestablishment of Israel in her land. At least the futurists have an escape hatch to sweep these prophecies under the rug. Given that, I suppose the liberal crowd just "spiritualizes" everything. Heaven is the Promised Land, Christ is King of our hearts, and the church is the recipient of the promises while Earth goes on the say old way. It’s amazing how one can trip out in the mind and create any abstraction while calling it reality. Well, to each their own.
Hosea
Let’s look to the Bible and understand. One of my favorite passages that summarize the characteristics and fate of Israel and promises to Israel as well is Hosea chapter one. The book starts out with God’s command to Hosea to marry a whore. This shocking passage is so out of character relative to what most moral Christianity teaches that some doubt that this actually took place. Perhaps it’s an allegory? Nope. Don’t buy that. Hosea married a whore. If a man of God marrying a whore was offensive to the Israelites, then God was trying to demonstrate that their idolatry was just as offensive to God as an unfaithful wife was to Hosea. This was serious business. Hosea was to have three children by her. The first was called Jezreel--- that meant "scattered" (as one would sow or scatter seed). God was going to make the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. "Aha!!! See! I told you that the Davidic monarchy would end! Don’t believe what Liaf tells you!" shouts some grave evangelist warning all the thinking people of hell to come if they use their brains. No, this was the kingdom of the house of Israel. You must remember they had their own kings which were not of the Davidic monarchy. No serious historian denies this. Israel as a people would remain, albeit in a scattered state after their captivity. The next kid was called Lo-ruhamah. "Lo" is a prefix meaning "not" and Ruhamah is mercy. Thus, they were not to have God’s mercy. He would not spare what was coming to them, but would take them away (verse 6). But I will have mercy on the house of Judah God says in verse 7. This in itself is enough proof that when God was speaking of Israel here, he was not addressing the Jew. The last kid was Lo-Ammi. Ammi means "my people" hence the name means "not my people". Thus the Israelites were to be scattered, not having God’s mercy, and known as not my people. These scattered people would appear as Gentiles and in their exiled state lose their identity. This was the biggest case of amnesia ever. In Migrations II, we saw the different names of the Israelites and hence the reason for this. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. In verse ten we read Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; [in their exiled state] and it shall come to pass, that in the place [remember that "place" promised to King David?] where it was said unto them Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sons of the living God. The ten tribes of Israel never historically returned to the land. Yet in this passage, God brings hope by saying they would be multiplied in their exile, and they would now be known as "sons of the living God".
This name change of the Israelites to be known to the world (and themselves) as somebody else is not really alien to other scriptural prophecies if we look carefully at texts. For example, Isaiah 62:2 says, And Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name. And again, Isaiah 65:1 says, I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. Does this sound similar to what Jesus said about the kingdom being taken from the Jews and given to a nation that brought forth those fruits? See my message about Jesus’ Great Commission. Why was that? Why would Israel lose her identity? I think there are many reasons that have to do with future plans for Israel that would carry out God’s purpose. But the initial reason was because God divorced the house of Israel because of the idolatry, Sabbath breaking, and general disregard for his Law. Only Israel was divorced, not Judah (the Jew)! Isaiah 50:1 and Jeremiah 3:8 deals with the subject of Israel’s divorce, yet Judah (her sister) saw it and played the harlot all the more, and the result was that backsliding Israel has justified herself more than treacherous Judah (Jeremiah 3:11). Please read Jeremiah 3:12. The mercy of God would eventually come again to Israel despite initial punishment. If Israel was divorced, how could God give her a new name again and become his people? Would they not be cast off forever and forgotten (the way historians would have us believe)? NO. God had promises to keep to the Patriarchs because of their faith in spite of their offspring’s behavior. That foreshadowed the essence of faith and how it operated that antedated the Law. That was the point in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Their fall was needed to show the need for a Savior and man’s inability to be righteous enough on his own. Indeed, these same people would be "re-covenanted" in Christ later on, thus becoming "sons of the living God" as Hosea said. These same people would be the light-bearers of the gospel later. According to the Law, one was bound to their husband or wife until one or the other died. If God divorced Israel, how could he make a new covenant with his wife? The Lord had to die on the cross and be raised a new man. There was a death that annulled the Old Covenant. The death of the husband did that. Now Paul actually claimed it was the wife that died through identification with Christ. The Law (the old husband) is actually alive and well, but through the death of the wife (and the resurrection that made a new husband), one through faith can belong to the New Covenant. It is this same "mechanism" that Israel could be covenanted to God again. Either way, the death of one or the other (or both) would annul the Old Covenant. Back to Hosea chapter one. "Ah, come on, Liaf. All this may happen, but in the millennium when God restores the Jew and gives them some kind of new name." Let’s look carefully after the events of Hosea 1:10. Up to verse ten, Israel was to become populous and called sons of the living God. Let’s look at verse eleven. Then…..Before I go on, who has trouble with that word? We were told as kids not to write compositions stating with the word "then" over and over again. Kids have a sequential way of thinking. The word "then" designates the next event. Now does the next event happen before or after something else? Let’s not mix up the verses in Hosea for one thing to take place in the millennium, another thing to take place during their exile, and another thing to take place during the church age in random order. Then is then. It means the next thing to happen. OK---- back to Hosea 1:11. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel [notice they are still separate] be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. Does this happen before, during or after the millennium? This sounds like the end time re-gathering to me. In addition, all this happens after their great population increase, the new name incident, and so forth. We must understand that Hosea primarily spoke to the house of Israel, not Judah except for some little things thrown in once in awhile. In Hosea 2:11, God would cause all her feast days to cease. A similar passage regarding Patriarchs can be found in Isaiah 51:1 where he says, Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn… Look unto Abraham your father. Now when did one have to remind Jews of their feast days and that Abraham was their father? These verses are indicative of a people who lost their sense of identity. Yet in Hosea 2:14-17, we see similar "name change" subjects that shed light on this.
Hosea 3:4 is often quoted by mislead Bible teachers that the "Jew" will have no King for awhile and thus they claim this proves the Davidic dynasty was fallen. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and da-da, da-da, da-da, da-da they quote almost rhythmically with a glee in their eyes. "See! We got ol’ Liaf this time. This proves there is no throne of David." First off, I wonder why the obsession to make God into a liar when he said that the throne of David would be eternal while great effort is wasted trying to prove there is not such a throne? This is in total contradiction and rebellion of God’s Word. Again, this addressed the house of Israel, not Judah. God promised that David’s son would always reign. He did not say that specific tribes would always have the Davidic king over them. He promised David the throne, not all twelve tribes of Israel as perpetual recipients of such a ruler (see I Kings 11:32). Since Israel was taken captive and then migrated later on until coming to that appointed "place" promised to King David, they would naturally have been without a Davidic king. First off, the house of Judah was taken captive by Babylon over one hundred years later. Up to then, we know that the house of David was ruling. Are over a hundred years at least "many days"? I’d say so. (These verses also have end-time application that I will not elaborate on in this message).
Chapters in Isaiah
In the second message (Migrations II), I pointed out some basic archeological evidence that the house of Israel migrated over to the British Isles, Europe, and ultimately the United States (since we came from Europe). I want to point out biblical passages that address this. The "forty-something" chapters of Isaiah all address the Lost Tribes, their characteristics, their location, and their purpose. Chapter 41:1 starts off by saying, Keep silence before me, O Islands, and let the people renew their strength. This passage was addressed to Israel who after going through their trek settled in their new homeland in the islands. I guess after wandering about the nations for awhile, they deserve a little time to "renew their strength". I won’t go into detail here, but in verse 2 the "righteous man from the east" was really Jeremiah coming there, not Cyrus as is commonly taught. Jeremiah was received with great fear and awe as a King himself. Verse 8 shows the subject of this chapter. But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Israel was God’s "servant" people to the fallen world. Verse 10 promises that God will strengthen them. The chapter crescendos until verse 15 where God said of Israel, Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make hills as chaff. If one wants to make these into literal mountains and hills, then these people would display an amazing act of engineering. If they are figurative of nations, then they are militarily mighty. Either way, they are powerful people. If Israelites were "Jews", when did this ever happen? When did the Jew ever behave like a threshing instrument with teeth? Indeed, historically they have been fleeing things with teeth. No, this chapter is addressed to the house of Israel that settled in the isles. They would become very powerful. If these isles are the British Isles, do these characteristics fit the British?
Meanwhile in their migrations there, Isaiah 42:16,19 show this blindness along the way and even afterwards. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not… These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. What a loving God! Even in their wandering, destitute state he would not forsake them! Verse 19 then asks, Who is blind but my servant? Surely this does not speak of Christ, God’s Servant who is often prophesied about. Was Christ blind? One of my favorite passages that I believe applied not only to the migrating Israelites to the isles, but across the waters here to the United States is found in Isaiah 43:1,2. But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee [now they have that new name] I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire [war], thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. In other words, they’d make their destination safely. I suppose some people perished, as does anybody who attempts risky missions, but as a whole, the people of Israel would make it. If our ancestors did not pass the waters safely to get here, we obviously would not be here today. And this is a land of many rivers that needed to be crossed. That reminds me of Isaiah 18. This chapter is addressed to Israel. Woe [should be translated Ho, as an interjection of attention, the same word used in Isaiah 55:1] to the land shadowing with wings [an emblem of an eagle] which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia [can refer to a nation that is a great way off beyond that region. The Hebrew word has a western connotation to it]. That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters…. Before I go on, if a person is a prophet but can only describe modern ships in the terminology that he knows, what does he mean by "vessels of bulrushes" or reed? That terminology does not necessarily indicate what the ships are made of, but how they work (according to their understanding). This was the prophet’s way of indicating modern water drinking vessels literally. In a similar manner, end-time prophecy speaks of "chariots" when we no longer use them. Verse two continues on by calling the people "scattered and peeled", a Hebrew way of saying tall and clean-shaven (like any good Navy man or ambassador would be). This was a nation meted out and trodden down. Only the United States has a "surveyor’s obsession" as I call it. Even when we adjust or add to our lot lines, we are compelled to spend thousands of dollars to have things re-surveyed. No other nation is this obsessed, at least not until the recent development of satellite technology. This is a land "the rivers have spoiled" or divided. This is a land of many rivers. In other words, Isaiah 18 prophesied about the people of the United States. Look at the back of a dollar bill. There you will find an eagle holding an olive branch in one leg and 13 arrows in the other. If we read Genesis 49:23, we see a prophecy that Jacob gave to his (birthright) son of Joseph. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: [symbolic of Joseph’s increased population and colonization as a result of the multitudes] The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him and hated him; but his bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob…
Isaiah has other references as to the direction that Israel migrated. In Isaiah 49:1, he starts off the chapter with Listen, O isles, unto me… Again we see that reference to the isles. What isles? Verse 12 addresses the end-time return of Israel. Behold, these shall come from far [not some local island] and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. There is no Hebrew word for "Northwest" so the two directions are used in the place of our word through the use of a conjunction. What isles are far away from Palestine in the Northwest direction? The British Isles perhaps? Where is Sinim? An alternate translation in the Vulgate was "Australi". What gave them that idea to translate it as that? We need not use too much imagination to see that this word is where "Australia" was derived, the land down under. God does indeed work in mysterious ways. I wonder who possessed the translators to use "Australi" if there was not something to this? And where did Britain colonize when becoming a multitude of nations? Is Australia one of those places? I’m asking rhetorical questions here. You know the answers already. Again, in Isaiah 51:5 (after he mentioned to Israel in verse two about looking to Abraham ‘your’ father) he said to them, the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
Other Prophecies
Other prophets made mention to the direction they went. Hosea 11:10 says regarding their end time return, They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children [these children are of the tribe of Ephraim, the subject of this passage] shall tremble from the west. In Hosea 12:1, the chapter starts off by saying, Ephraim feedeth on the wind, and followeth after the east wind. If you "follow" the wind, and that wind is blowing from the east, which way are you going? Of course Ephraim was one of the two sons of Joseph (the other being Manasseh) that had the birthright. Ephraim was to become many nations while Manasseh was to become a people (or nation). Ephraim was the dominant tribe of the ten tribes of Israel. Oftentimes Ephraim is synonymous with the house of Israel because of its dominance and birthright blessing. Micah 2:12-13 deals with their migrations that sound a little more specific. Migrations II message is the explaination for this passage. I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee [i.e. in that "place" other than Palestine] I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them. As we studied some of the alternative names given to Israel in the Migrations II message, we learned about forced movements and migrations in the Black Sea area. And in that region is where they passed through the Caucasian Pass (through the gate), or that passage way to the other side. II Esdras 13 (already quoted in the last message) was a similar passage of scripture that dealt with this region. Notice that their king would go on ahead of them. By the time they arrived in the isles, Jeremiah did his transplanting work of David’s throne. "I thought you said that a Davidic king would always reign over the people of Israel. If they were not there yet, how could that be?" I never said there were not other Israelites (e.g. from the tribe of Dan) already there. As a matter of fact, I said that there were waves of migrations. I now focus primarily on the "Lost Tribes" because the bulk of these Israelites are whom we should be concerned with. Otherwise, if we ignore these ten tribes, then God’s promises would be in vain. Once again, the house of David was promised an eternal throne. This does not limit the recipients of that reign to specific tribes. David’s house could rule over various tribes of Israel, as long as they ruled as God promised.
Amos 9:9 is in agreement with this idea of re-gathering the Israelites in another place, from which they would spread abroad and become many nations and a great nation (Genesis 28:14). For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like a corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. Let me ask you this. If we put a mixture of something into a sieve, and it filters out something specific, what does this illustration mean in regards to the wanderings of Israel throughout the nations? It means they would be scattered (as Hosea said) but God would select them out again. Why would one want to use a sieve to begin with? The answer is to separate out the desired element. It implies putting those elements back together again. Israel was scattered and punished for a season, they were known as "not having mercy" and "not my people", but after this ordeal, they would be assembled again to that "place" by God himself for the purpose he had in mind.
Israel’s Purpose
Let’s go back to Isaiah 44:1-5. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the Lord’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Although Israel is exiled here, this is an amazing promise that God will send his Spirit on their seed. My Bible references the incident in Acts 2:18 (Peter quoting scripture). Indeed this was true, and from Judea the gospel spread throughout the region, and ultimately to the house of Israel (see my message about the Great Commission). God would put his Spirit into them, and pour out his blessing. Hey folks, this is addressed to Israel, not Gentiles. If Israel were the "Jews", when did they get blessings so that they "spring up among the grass" and "as willows among the water courses"? Traditionally, the Jews rejected the gospel and history shows they struggled to even be amongst the grass and willows, always afraid of being cut down. The Bible speaks of Jews as being known (Jeremiah 24:9, Ezekiel 22:4), whereas Israel is "not my people". The Bible speaks of Jews as having no government (Jeremiah 17:4) whereas Israel would have the throne of David (Jeremiah 33:17), the Jews would be few in number (Jeremiah 15:7) whereas the Israelites would be as the "sand of the sea". Do you see the difference? If we apply all the prophecies and promises to the Jew only, contradictions arise. That’s why folks into eschatology "push off" the positive promises to the millennium and why others basically ignore these passages. However, Isaiah 44 passage speaks of their blessings starting with the gospel age. What about verse 5? Why so many names? I’ll let you answer by that one. But here is a clue. I say, "I am the Lord’s" but I believe I am "surnamed" as an Israelite belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. I always tell folks I am an Israelite. We can see that the Israelites would have God’s Spirit and become blessed. What else? What’s the whole point of God scattering them, regrouping them, blessing them later on, and giving them his spirit? Isaiah 49 sheds light on this. Isaiah 49:3 says, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I [Christ] will be glorified. Verse 6, And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will give thee a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Israel was to be God’s bearers of light to the fallen world. Failing to do that through the Law, they had to be divorced and re-covenanted in Christ as a new creation to do so. Now I am not saying that all Israelites are saved, and that all Christians are from the Lost Tribes. No, not at all. However, because of the national greatness and power promised to them, they would have the means necessary to accomplish this by those who are in Christ. As Paul pointed out, the Law was added because of transgressions, and the Law came after promises to Abraham. Indeed, the Law was a schoolmaster to bring one to Christ because the Law is merely a mirror to show what one really is, not a means of salvation. One cannot be good enough to keep it perfectly. If one could, they would have eternal life as promised to those who could keep the Law. Only one man could--- that’s why he rose again from the dead. The old man must die (in Adam) and a new man raised (in Christ). The Law only showed the need for a Savior until the appointed time that the Savior should come. Why the downfall of Israel and re-covenanting again? Why not just do the whole thing from the start? For the very reasons I just gave. What would be learned if not for that downfall? Throughout the Bible, God stressed the need to do things God’s way instead of man’s way. Read the rest of Isaiah 49 and ask yourself, if this applied to the Jew, when did this ever happen? Note that in verse 8, Israel was to inherit the desolate heritages [frontiers]. Verses 19 and 20 are particularly interesting. Because of Israel’s population increase, they had to expand. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. What does all this mean? In short, the land or place that they came to from their exile (the isles) shall have a population explosion after some of their children break away from them. Remember that 2520 year prophecy of punishment from Leviticus that I mentioned in the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel message? I hope you read it, because now it will turn up. Hosea 6:2 said it this way, After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Peter said that a day to the Lord is like a thousand years and vice versa. Therefore, after two days and on the third is the same as saying 2520 years. Hey folks, this is not a prophecy about Christ’s resurrection. The subject was about Ephraim being punished by the Lord, and they wanted to return to him again. You see, Israel wandered many years to finally settle in that "place" promised. The tribe of Mannasseh went into bondage before many of the other tribes. 2520 years after part of the tribe of Manasseh went into captivity, the battle of Yorktown occurred and the independence of the United States came into being. 2520 years after Ephraim went into captivity (circa 1800), an amazing thing happened. Britain’s population increased by leaps and bounds after the colonists left. Industry and might increased substantially. Much of the archeological evidence about the Lost Tribes and that apocryphal chapter of Acts 29 came to light at the same time in history. "Big deal. What’s so important about the apocryphal chapter of Acts?" you may ask. That chapter is a written record as to where the Lost Tribes went. The apostle Paul came to Britain according to this document to preach Christ. That’s the essence of all the stories you hear about apostles visiting Britain, King Arthur, the Holy Grail, and so forth. What other reason is there a connection between Palestine and Britain? God kept Israel’s identity unknown until some positive evidence turned up (although some insightful people suspected this before then) exactly at the time that the 2520 year punishment was about to end. After all, there is some evidence that apostles started an early church in Britain straight from Jerusalem. Joseph of Arimathea is one such fellow who was reported to having gone to Britain. The "Holy Grail" stories center more around the perpetuation of the Davidic monarchy through children of Jesus himself, or his brother James. While I find that this was possible, these would be kings de jure that did not always rule. I find that the scriptures require kings de facto in order to keep the promise to King David, and hence my belief in that lineage continuing through King Zedekiah’s daughter. Because the Lost Tribes were there, this was an active place in regards to apostolic work and royalty. And most would have you believe that messengers from the Roman church converted those heathen Saxon and Celts to Christianity. I believe their church existed long beforehand.
Let’s continue looking at Isaiah. Everybody knows that Isaiah 53 prophesied of the suffering servant Christ. What many do not realize is that Isaiah 54 are the results of Christ’s atoning work. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife. (Isaiah54:1) Who was the married wife? The Jews (the house of Judah). Who was desolate? The divorced wife, the house of Israel. More are the children of the desolate. The married wife produced a child. That child was Christ who is the focus of the gospel message. Besides, Jews were always a population known as God’s people. But Israel was known as "not my people" and "not having mercy". Verse 2 says to enlarge the place of thy tent. That is in unison with what I’ve been saying thus far about their population increase. Verse 3, Thou shalt break forth in the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Not only are they populous, but they possess the nations. These are colonizing people. Verse 5, For thy Maker is thine husband [they are re-covenanted in Christ]. "Boy. We know Liaf. He’s a nice guy but he really went off the deep end here. These are prophecies of Gentiles accepting the gospel." No they are not. We have two characters here. They are the married wife and desolate one. Agreed? Let’s look at verse 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. Let me ask this. When was God married to any other nation that he could forsake them, let alone gather them again? Only Israel and Judah were his wives (yes friends, that’s plural!). Read the end of the chapter. It ends with the somewhat familiar verse 17 that says, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper… These are militarily mighty people. Here is one of my favorites about Israel along the same theme. Turn to Jeremiah 51:20. Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee I will destroy kingdoms. Nothing like those fighting Irish or Scots with their battle axes. Of course I think the application goes much further. I’m giving some foundational scriptures that identify the Lost Tribes so that we can identify them by their characteristics, the direction they went, and the promises to them. There are scores of other scripture I did not touch on here, but if we take all the scripture quoted thus far and ask ourselves honestly who fulfilled all this, does this not sound like the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon nations (and by extension the United States)? Who else fulfilled this? The Japanese or Chinese? For starters, they are in the wrong direction. How about Russia and the previous satellite countries of theirs? No, there is not an enduring monarchy there. How about Middle Eastern countries? No. They did not possess the gates of their enemies and become a military power likened to the British and Americans. Only the British and people of the United States seem to fulfill all the requirements of the birthright tribes.
The Time of the End
In end times Israel will go into captivity again and be spoiled, yet they have a remnant of their previous (albeit disorganized) power. Israel’s power will wane in end times as spoken of in Isaiah 28. Turn to Micah 5:8. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forrest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. The context of this passage is that the Assyrian invaded the land (verse 6). This is prophecy of Antichrist, the Assyrian (see Isaiah 11:20-24). Notice even at that time Israel is militarily mighty when finally the Lord will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots and throw down thy strong holds. (verses 10-11). The bad guy ultimately gets it, but Israel is also punished as well. Up to their time of their punishment, and I believe this is the seven-year tribulation, they are mighty in power.
When Jesus returns, there will be the well-known Armageddon battle, Israel and Judah will be re-gathered to her land, and there will be a judgement of the remaining people of all nations, including the Israelites and Jews. (This is known as the "sheep and goat" judgement). Finally the millennium commences. The gathering of both Israel and Judah back to her land is best expressed in Ezekiel 37. When I was a kid, I had a friend that told me that the Bible said God could make skeletons walk! That fascinated me, especially since I was at the age where death was a curiosity to me. No doubt he was referring to Ezekiel 37 which is often quoted (and I believe erroneously) as a "resurrection chapter" for Easter. The context of the chapter is the re-gathering of all of the exiles. Without quoting the entire chapter, the story starts of with Ezekile’s vision of a multitude of dry bones. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones so that they live again. From there (as good as any science fiction movie can get), the bones reversed their decomposed state starting with sinews, flesh and finally breath after the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind (symbolic of God’s Spirit--- John 3:8). The final result was that they stood up and as verse 10 said of them, an exceeding great army. Before we go on, in spite of Israel’s spiritual condition in the end times, notice the great population size of these people. That’s because they were promised to become many nations, spread abroad, and become populous and mighty. But in the end times, their might wanes before the Coming of the Lord. The Tribulation will drain them dry as bones. Even before the trials of that terrible time, their spiritual condition is not good. "Well, maybe there are a lot of Israelites, but they will multiply again after the Lord restores them in their land." I must answer those who hold this position that Ezekiel saw very many bones. Bones are indicative of their condition before their restoration to the land. If we continue reading, the Lord would bring them back to their land and put his Spirit into them. These are Israelites in their natural, unregenerate state that would be rejuvenated. After this, Ezekiel was told to take two sticks, one for Judah and for the children of Israel his companions, and another for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions. After this, he was to join the sticks in his hand to appear as one stick in the sight of his people. The Lord explains the symbolism of this in Ezekiel 37:21-28. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgements, and observe my statues, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
Notice at the time of the end, until they are gathered, Judah (the Jews) and Israel (represented by Joseph and Ephraim the birthright tribes) are separate. And notice that in their "skeletal" condition beforehand, they were still populous. Don’t let a verse 26 fool you where the Lord says, I will multiply them. The inaccurate logic of many people is that if the Lord will multiply them, they must be small beforehand. Why then the massive number of bones? That’s an evangelist’s mathematics. They figure only small numbers can be multiplied (maybe some can’t count very high). Notice that the Lord will make them into one nation again in the land where all the Israelites will be gathered. If the birthright blessings of becoming many nations were fulfilled in the millennium, then I must respectfully ask how Israel can become many nations and yet remain one nation at the same time? The whole point of an Israel/Judah and birthright/ruler distinction was because they would have separate destinies. At the time of the end, they will become one again and thus all the Abrahamic promises must be fulfilled.
If you were to print this entire message out (part III only), you would have about eleven pages. Yet I assure you I gave only general scripture verses that show the direction that Israel went, their characteristics, their purpose in the exile, and their restoration to the land in end times. However, I wanted to give enough detail so that reading the "Lost Ten Tribes of Israel" message the reader would not think I jumped to a hasty conclusion. There are oodles of scripture about Israel if one knows where to look. However, our mindset must be changed. When the Bible says "Israel" that it does not mean "Jews". Likewise, if we say, "Yankees" that’s not the same as "Rebels" even though both lived in the United States. Even after all these messages, there will be some readers who think that when I said Israel migrated to the isles, they think I meant Jews that moved to England or wherever. They can’t escape the "Israel equals Jew" mindset. No. I am saying the British are the Israelites (Ephraim). We the people of the United States are from the tribe of Manasseh. I concentrated on these two because they were the dominant birthright tribes (the two sons of Joseph). In a similar manner, the lesser tribes are surrounding nations in the Northwest European continent (i.e. the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel--- the other nine tribes are the companions of Ephraim in other words). So if you are a "stuffy British" person as cliché would say, or a delightful Irish lass, of a fightin’ Scotsman, or an American Patriot, you are an Israelite. And I believe this goes for every person that lives within these borders as evidenced by God’s filtering action (Amos 9:9).
If we are indeed the people of Israel, then let us be a light to the world and fulfill our God-appointed destiny until that Day when the Lord takes his church home. And may our brothers and sisters of the seed of Abraham inherit the Kingdom to come when the Lord will rule in righteousness and glory where all will be revealed and recreated as God intended for us from the beginning. Praise God for his unspeakable gift!