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Original Message
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What is the difference between Judah and Israel?
[link to johnthewitness.wordpress.com]
All of the descendents of Jacob, who’s name was changed to Israel, are Israelites. Many Christians might be surprised to learn that Israel split into two parts after the reign of King Solomon. Before then, all 12 tribes were united under the leadership of Judah. This split is recorded in II Chronicles 10 and I Kings 12 detail the politics which created this separation. The division resulted in the northern kingdom of Samaria (the “House of Israel”) and the southern kingdom of Judea (the “House of Judah”) in the Holy Land.
The 10 northern tribes (I Kings 11:31, 35) which composed the House of Israel were the tribes of Reuben, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. These 10 northern tribes were led by Ephraim (Gen. 48:14-22). After their spiritual adultery, God allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to be gradually conquered and enslaved by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:1-23). By 721 B.C. the last of the ‘Lost Ten Tribes of Israel’ had all been enslaved, losing their religion and their identity.
The House of Judah was initially composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. (I Kings 12:21; II Chron. 11:12). After Jeroboam and his sons had rejected Levi as priests, they too joined forces with Judah (II Chron. 11:13-14.) In 586 B.C, 135 years after the northern kingdom of Israel was enslaved by the Assyrians, Judah’s Temple was destroyed and they were conquered by the Babylonians. The jewish people were freed when Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 538 B.C.
As you can see, while all jewish people are Israelites, not all Israelites are jewish people. Most Israelites, in fact, are not jewish people. The designation “jewish” belonged exclusively to the southern kingdom of Judah, the very word “jewish” having been derived from “Judah,” only the kingdom of Judah was “Jewish.” The 10 other tribes of Israel are not jewish people by race, tribe or kingdom. Also since “Judaism” only became a term used to describe the religion of the kingdom of Judah after the 10 northern tribes of the kingdom of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians, the 10 northern tribes have never been “Jewish” in a religious sense either. Since their division, Judah and Israel have even fought wars against each other (II Kings 16:5-6.)
Notice that the distinction between Judah and Israel was understood in the Old Testament
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. (1 Kings 12:21)
When will the two kingdoms be restored and the real regathering happen?
When Babylon is destroyed, the sins of the house of Judah and the house of Israel will be pardoned, the exile will be over and at long last the house of Judah and the house of Israel will be restored. (Jeremiah 50:20).
The Bible mentions only one post Yeshua regathering. Mainstream Christians seemingly believe that the 1948 gathering was in prophecy, but also believe there will be another gathering that has not happened yet. Where do these Christians find the evidence for two? The great regathering to the promised land which will reunite Israel and Judah will not happen until during the tribulation (Jeremiah 50:2-5, Jeremiah 30:7-10) after Mystery Babylon the Great is destroyed (Jeremiah 50:20). Obviously the tribulation has not happened yet. The regathering corresponds to the second coming of Yeshua (Jeremiah 23:3-6.) Also the Bible states that Yeshua will be the one who regathers (Jeremiah 31:10), not the United Nations. God said he would destroy the nations from which the Israelites were scattered. Why hasn’t God destroyed Europe, if the nation Israel, in the middle east, is really a nation of God? Why would God destroy Christian nations when he himself says that Judaism is an antichrist religion? (1 John 2:22)
If Israel becoming a nation in 1948 was really the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy then why wasn’t the kingdom of Israel gathered with the kingdom of Judah? The regathering prophecy requires the gathering together of ALL of Jacob / Israel (Hosea 1:10-11, Micah 2:12.) All twelve tribes, both kingdoms, Israel and Judah will need to have been gathered to the promised land. If you are a Christian who believes the Bible is divinely inspired, then you must admit that the gathering that happened in 1948 is not the real gathering that is spoken of in prophecy. The northern Kingdom of Israel, was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. These Lost Tribes of Israel lost their identity and their religion. They were worshiping Pagan Gods and they did not realize they were Israelites. Yeshua told his apostles to “preach only unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6.) Therefore at the time Yeshua was preaching, these Lost Tribes of Israel, were still lost and still pagan, and only a short while away from converting to Christianity in mass. As said before, God said he would regather ALL of Israel, while the kingdom of Judah denied Yeshua, the Kingdom of Israel, the Lost Tribes, embraced Yeshua and Christianity spread throughout the kingdom of Israel. So obviously, when Israel became a nation in 1948, only the Jewish kingdom of Judah was gathered, and not the Christian kingdom of Israel, therefore the prophecies were never fulfilled.
Also the regathering corresponds to the tribulation and the return of Yeshua (Romans 9:25-28, Isaiah 10:20–23). Furthermore the Bible states clearly that Judah and Israel will call on God during the tribulation. The only way to call on God is through the son (John 14:6.) Judah therefore must convert to Christianity during the tribulation or their calls and prayers could not be answered. When the real regathering happens it will include the remnant of both kingdoms each having embraced Yeshua as messiah.
God promised that Israel would never be attacked or have their land threatened on any of the three annual feast days (Exodus 34:22-24). Each time that ancient Israel was attacked on a feast day signified that it had broken the covenant with God. The historian Josephus, according to Don Preston in Countdown to Nowhere, argues that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem during the feast of Pentecost in 586 B.C. He also points out that the Romans also destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D during the Pentecost. The modern nation of Israel was attacked on the Passover on 3/27/2002. Signifying that the nation of Israel is an abomination to God.
Doesn’t Zachariah say that Judah will be gathered first?
“…Jerusalem” (IE The People, the tribes of Israel) “will be living again in the place which is hers, that is, in Jerusalem. 7 And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first” (as opposed to the rest of Jerusalem, IE the 10 lost tribes) “so that the glory of the family of David and the glory of the people of Jerusalem” (IE The rest of the lost tribes) “may not be greater than that of Judah” (Zechariah 12:6,7)
This passage marks a clear difference between Judah and the rest of Jerusalem. “… glory of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that or Judah.” This passage states that all of Jerusalem (all 12 tribes of Israel) will need to be regathered: “Jerusalem will be living in Jerusalem”. Obviously that has not happened yet. So the nation Israel is a counterfeit.
It seems, however, that when the real regathering happens. Judah, indeed, will be given salvation first.
What happened to the Kingdom of Israel?
The prophet Hosea preached several decades before the fall of the House of Israel to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. While addressing the failings and issues of both the House of Israel and the House of Judah his primary message is directed at the House of Israel, also known as Ephraim.
In an effort to illustrate the House of Israel’s spiritual adultery against Him, YHVH commanded Hosea to take a prostitute for a wife (Hos. 1:2). Hosea and the prostitute had 3 children. God had Hosea name them symbolically to show how he was going to deal with the House of Israel. The children were named Jezreel (“God sows”), Lo-Ruhamah (“no mercy”), and Lo-Ammi (“no people”).
All three of these names are representative of God’s punishment on the House of Israel. Jezreel represented God’s sowing of the House of Israel among the Gentile nations of the earth after they were carried away into captivity by the Assyrians (Hos. 8:8; Zec. 10:7-10). Lo-Ruhamah denoted the fact that Yah would no longer have mercy upon the House of Israel, allowing them to be taken captive because of their sins (Hos. 1:6). Lo-Ammi pictured the gradual loss of religious and ethnic identity of the House of Israel. The House of Israel were allowed to forget that they were part of the chosen people of God (Hos. 1:9), and eventually came to view themselves as Gentiles. The house of Israel’s true identity will not be known until the information is unsealed shortly before the tribulation.
Where did the lost tribes of Israel go? The tribes of Israel were scattered to the north (Jer. 3:18, 23:8.) After being rejected by his Jewish brethren (John 1:11), Yeshua told the apostles to not go the way of the gentile, but to preach only unto the lost children of the House of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6.) James preached in Spain (Source). Peter preached in Great Britain (Source). Matthias preached in modern day Romania (Source). With God obviously having a preference that Christianity reach the Lost Tribes before the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), It is no surprise that the people whom adopted Christianity the earliest, and have the richest histories with the religion are other European peoples. God gives visual identifiers to each racial group. Hamites are known for their dark skin (Jeremiah 13:23, Exagoge 60-65 by Ezekiel the Tragedian) Israelites have their own similar identifying features as well. The reason why European and Jewish people have colorful eyes and hair is because they are both Israelite peoples.
Was the nation Israel becoming a country in 1948 really the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy?
4Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. 5For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year. (Ezekiel 4:4-6)
Many Christians believe Israel is a divine nation of God based on the founding of the nation Israel in 1948 which seems to correspond to Ezekiel’s prophecy. Most historians agree with the fact that Judah was enslaved by the Babylonians for 60 years rather than the necessary 70 that is used to arrive at the 1948 number (Wikipedia). Lets see what happens when we use the number 60 which seems to be more historically accurate…
390 days Judgment against the 10 northern tribes ‘Israel’
+ 40 days Judgment against the 2 southern tribes ‘Judah’
= 430 years Judgment against the nation of Israel
more...
[link to johnthewitness.wordpress.com]
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