The Full Lost Ten Tribes.

The Prophet's Spiritual Mission.

When the Exile, monarchy, and state were annihilated; and a political and national life was no longer possible in the absence of a worldly foundation, it became necessary to build upon a spiritual one. This mission Ezekiel performed by observing the signs of the time and by deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book his personality and his preaching are alike twofold. The events of the past must be explained. If God has permitted His city and His Temple to be destroyed and His people to be led into exile, He has thereby betrayed no sign of impotency or weakness. He Himself has done it, and was compelled to do it, because of the sins of the people of Israel, who misunderstood His nature and His will. Nevertheless, there is no reason to despair; for God does not desire the death of the sinner, but his reformation. The Lord will remain the God of Israel, and Israel will remain His people. As soon as Israel recognizes the sovereignty of the Lord and acts accordingly, He will restore the people, in order that they may fulfil their eternal mission and that He may truly dwell in the midst of them. This, however, cannot be accomplished until every individual reforms and makes the will of the Lord his law.

The Promise To Abraham

      This is a study that keeps appearing every now and then in Christian literature since the last few hundred years. It is an important teaching from our Father, as it helps to reveal to His People their heritage, and most of all, what He set out for them to accomplish as a people. Its knowledge gives His People a unity of purpose and well being, by knowing that the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are true. In unity of purpose through His Son Jesus Christ, and realising the meaning behind these promises is strength and peace of mind. And for many of these reasons, various false ones try to tear down this knowledge of the Lost Ten Tribes and God's promises, in an attempt to create consternation against His People. I can assure the reader that some of the most God enlightened individual rulers of the past, in American and European history both, were aware of the significance of this teaching and from it gained strength for right thinking and just behaviour in helping to carry out God's Plan. For those of God's People not to be aware of their heritage is to go in the way of Esau, despising their 'birthright' blessings from God.
       Some get upset when the subject of The Ten Tribes pops up, quoting…

I Timothy 1:4. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

About not giving 'heed' to 'fables' and 'endless genealogies'. That word 'endless' is 'aperantos' in the Greek meaning 'unfinished, (by implication) interminable' (Strong's no.562), and 'fables' is 'muthos' in the Greek meaning 'a tale, fiction, myth' (Strong's no.3454). The main subject there in I Timothy is the requirement of what subject matter is to be taught in God's Church, which is declared His Word, not man's traditions. Thus, 'fables' and 'endless genealogies' are referring to some preacher getting up at the pulpit and bringing in all kinds of ficticous family analogies to teach with, instead of sticking to God's Word. The 'genealogies' God set forth in His Word are never a 'fable', or an 'endless genealogy', and any teacher that claims so is a false prophet that should not be heeded.

God's genealogies are non-fiction, finite not endless, have a purpose, and are a part of His Word. So we must choose either to listen to man's words, staying ignorant of God's Word and His Plan, or we can choose to listen to our Father, The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and The God of Jacob.
       In order to properly trace the Lost Tribes of Israel today, we must first understand God's Promises He gave us, that make up His 'Birthright' Blessings to His People, and how that promise 'seed' lineage began. This will start in Genesis, as we ask a Word of Wisdom from our Father, in Christ's Name, Amen.

God's First Promise To Abram

       The first Covenant promise God made was to Abram when he was ninety-nine years old.

Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, "I am the Almighty GOD; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.
2    And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly."
3    And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4    "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5    Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

God is telling Abram to be 'perfect'. This means 'having integrity', in other words, 'be mature, stand up like a man of God and be just'. This promise here in the 5th verse God is saying to Abram that he would be the father of 'many nations', not just Israel. This was true, as Ishmael was actually the firstborn of Abram, but not of Abraham and Sarah, which was to be the 'seed of the Promise'.

God blessed Ishmael, the firstborn son of Abram and Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, though, as He promised Ishmael would be 'a great nation' (Gen.17: 20). Let's skip down to the 19th verse of Genesis 17:

Gen 17:19   And God said, "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

       At this verse, God is making His Covenant Promise more specific, as to which 'seed' it was to be held in, that of Isaac. Notice the word 'everlasting'? That word is 'owlam' in the Hebrew and is just about as close as you can get to 'forever' (Strong's no.5769). As Paul would say in Romans 9:6, "...but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called", this is the flesh seed Promise of election.

I realise it's easy to get mixed up while reading there in Romans 9, but this is essentially what Paul is saying; that there are two elections, one of the chosen seed Promise through Isaac, and the other, the election according to 'grace', which is of the Gentile.

As Paul would continue there in Romans 9, many of the seed of Promise stumbled at a 'stumblingblock', 'The Cornerstone' which the builders rejected, that is to say, Jesus Christ, and they refused Him as Saviour, while those according to the election of Grace did not stumble. So in summary of this Covenant Promise, the 'seed of the Promise' is in Isaac, and It is an 'everlasting' Promise, which means even to God's Eternity and beyond. What will be an amazing discovery to many who grasp this study, is that the 'seed of Promise' does not include only the Nation which we call Israel in the middle east today, nor the Jewish Diaspora (the scattering of Judah after the return from Babylon), for that 'seed of Isaac' is elsewhere in the world today also.

The Second Promise To Abraham.

       In Genesis 22, Abraham proves his 'faith' in God's Promises by obeying The LORD in His command to offer up his son Isaac upon the altar. God stopped Abraham, for it was a test of faith only as God does not approve of Molech worship (see Leviticus 18:21). For Abraham's obedience, God gave him another Promise:

Gen 22:15   And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16    And said, "By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17    That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18    And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice."

A seed as numerous as the stars of heaven, and as the sand, which is upon the seashore, covers a lot more of the Promise seed than just those over in the Nation Israel today. There's not enough room in the State of Israel to house a 'seed' this numerous. Wonder where they are today?

(Hint: these outside of the Israel state today are not all Jews either). It's recorded in the Book of Ezra that only about 44,000 from the tribe of Judah returned back to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity, and nothing about the other tribes of Israel. The census taken before that time of the captivities accounted for much more than 44,000 between all the twelve tribes (see II Chron.25 for a war census of just Judah, circa 714 B.C.). Another important part of this Promise is in Gen.22: 18 with: "...in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed...". Again, don't make the mistake of thinking this is referring to the Jewish Diaspora only, as we'll discover throughout this study.
       God also promised to Abraham that this particular 'seed through Abraham' would 'possess the gate of his enemies'. Again, this 'seed' is of Isaac, not Ishmael, Medan, Midian, etc. Wonder what nations have that kind of power? Doesn't appear to be happening in the nation state of Israel today with all the land giveaways, does it? The Nation of Israel does pretty well for holding its own today, but we will find out later that this applies to other nations today as well.
       After Abraham's wife Sarah died, he took another wife by the name of Keturah (Gen.25: 1). He bares other sons, Medan and Midian, which made up the lands of the Medes and Midianites (Gen.25: 2). These were half-brothers with Ishmael (Arab peoples), but not the 'seed of Promise', which was and still is, Isaac.
     As can possibly be seen today, with the conflicts between the Arab peoples and the Nation state of Israel, since Ishmael was Abraham's 'firstborn', and the 'birthright' is to go to the 'firstborn' by Law, Ishmael feels cheated out of his birthright, and wishes to claim it. These are part of the reasons why the Palestinians have refused to declare Israel as a Nation, and are so vehemently opposed to Israelites, including Christians. It's an 'old wound' that will not be healed until Shiloh (Christ) returns.

The Promise Continues in Jacob.

      At Genesis 25:19, the 'seed of the Promise' continues, as Isaac's wife Rebekah, births twins Jacob and Esau the firstborn. Because of the struggle within Rebekah's womb she asks of God why:

Gen 25:23   And the LORD said unto her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."

       These two children of Jacob (supplanter or contender), and Esau (hairy, rough) being the firstborn, represented 'two nations', Jacob becoming re-named 'Israel' and father of the twelve Patriarchs of Israel (God prevails), and Esau would become the nation 'Edom' meaning 'red' in the Hebrew (Gen.25: 30). If you haven't read and understood how and why Esau, who was the firstborn of Isaac and Rebekah, lost his birthright to the younger Jacob, I suggest you cover it (see Gen.25-28). Esau despised his 'birthright' and sold it as 'wares' to Jacob, for a bowl of 'red pottage' beans. This is not the way to treat a heritage, which Jehovah Almighty gives as a blessing. For this reason, the 'birthright' was to go to Jacob, Esau's younger brother. It took a little craftiness on the part of Rebekah and Jacob, but it was God's Plan.
     In Malachi 1:3, God stated that He 'loved Jacob', but 'hated Esau'. The word 'hate' is 'sane'' in the Hebrew meaning 'to hate (personally)' (Strong's no. 8130), so it did not mean that God just preferred Jacob, no, God literally 'hated' Esau. Paul tells us more of the conditions for this in Romans 9:

Rom 9:10   And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11    (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth;)
12    It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13    As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

       It may seem like I'm getting a little off track with the Lost Ten Tribes here with this message, but I'm not actually. This statement by our Father gives a much deeper clue to the mystery of the 'election', in others words, God does not 'hate' someone who did not merit it. That would be unjust, and our Father is NEVER unjust. The key is that time of the first earth age, when we were all sons of God in the beginning, in the spiritual body, before this time of the flesh, when Satan himself walked and served God near the 'Stones of Fire' at God's Altar (see Ezek.28 and my Genesis Letters). Who places all souls in the flesh body? Our Father Jehovah in Heaven of course. He places those whom He chose in that first earth age which followed Him to do His Will, in this second earth age of the flesh. Esau must have done something in that time 'of old' that God did not like. This is not an opinion. Many can't grasp the Word when It refers to a first earth age, but no other explanation can be given from The Word why God would hate Esau, as written, even before he was 'not yet born' and "...neither having done any good or evil..." as Paul stated (also see Jeremiah 1).

      Jacob supplants the 'birthright' blessing from Isaac, making the seed of Jacob for the Promise, not the seed of Esau:

Gen 28:1   And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2    Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.
3    And GOD ALMIGHTY bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4    And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham."

       You should realize the reason for Jacob not taking of the daughters of Canaan, for those were mixed with the 'Rephaim', or the offspring of the 'fallen angels', and of the Kenites (son of Cain; Strong's no. 7014). Not all those of Canaan, but many. (Canaan was the son of Ham through an incestuous affair with his mother; see Leviticus 18 & 20, dealing with 'uncovering thy father's nakedness'. Ham also then, was Adamic). This 'seed of Promise' was to be the chosen Seed of the Woman, of which Jesus Christ would be born of (Gen.3: 15). You don't blame our Father for being a little biased in choosing a special 'seed' for His Purpose do you? It would be very immature and obstinate to do so.
       Notice in these verses that Isaac is passing on the 'birthright' Blessing to his son Jacob, which God gave to Abraham? This is why Jehovah is called 'The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and The God of Jacob' (Exodus 3:6; Matt.22: 32; Acts 3:13). From Jacob will begin the twelve-tribe branch of Israel. It is important to remember that the term 'Israel' and 'Israelite' is not associated with anyone before this Promise God gave to Jacob through his father Isaac. Many times the term Israelite is used even of 'the man Adam' by the unlearned in God's Word. The Israelites began with the offspring of Jacob, i.e., Israel.

'Israel shall be thy name.'

       Genesis 32 gives us an account of how Jacob wrestled with an angel and 'prevailed'. The angel blessed Jacob and gave him a new name:

Gen 32:28   And he said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

        This Angel is giving Jacob a bit of information about his new name. It wasn't official yet, for God had not talked to him in the manner of Isaac and Abraham's promise.

Gen 35:9   And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him.
10    And God said unto him, "Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name:" and He called his name Israel.
11    And God said unto him, "I am GOD ALMIGHTY: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
12    And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land."
13    And God went up from him in the place where He talked with him.

       This makes it official. Here God is giving the same 'birthright' Blessing of the 'seed of Promise' that He gave to Abraham and Isaac, finally to Jacob. Therefore, the new name of the 'Promise' became 'Israel'. As the name Jacob will still be used in The Word later, the new National Name of Israel is the word to look for when dealing with the 'Birthright' blessings of God's original promise to Abraham. Nor does this new 'name' of 'Israel' only refer to the Nation of Israel today, but certain others also, as we will discover throughout this study.
       Notice especially the verse of Genesis 35:11 above. Who are all these 'company of nations' God is telling Jacob he would be the father of? Jacob had twelve sons, which are the twelve tribes of Israel. But Israel was only 'one' nation. So who are the others, as "a company of nations" certainly means more than one. That's what we will eventually discover throughout this study.
       As Jesus Christ is The True King of all Israel, He also being The High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, so was His 'birthright' lineage of Israel, his mother Mary being a Levite. On his father's side, reckoned by law, was the 'Scepter' Royal lineage of Judah making Jesus Christ the Priest King, LORD of lords and KING of kings.

       Many have not been taught to follow the lineage from Adam and Eve down to Christ, listening to worldly traditions of the 'one world brotherhood of mankind'. Our Father made this lineage link a very important matter, as He does not like it when we despise our roots and heritage. That God chooses a people out of many other bloodlines upon this earth deserves our respect, not jealousy and envy. The 'election of grace' to the Gentile is just as valuable a gift from our LORD as the election of Promise seed.

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.

The Birthright Blessings Go To Ephraim & Manasseh.

     In the last Study, Jacob officially received the Covenant Promise from God, the same Promise given to his father Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham. This blessing to Jacob from God came after he had made the 'pillar' of stone his pillow, and had anointed it because of the dream he had while asleep upon it, and had wrestled with the angel, overcoming, and now Jacob was on the way to live with Laban, his mother's brother, in the land Haran (Mesopotamia) (Gen.29:1). More on this 'stone of destiny' will be covered later in these studies.
     When Jacob came to the land Padan-aram, he worked for his uncle Laban under contract for to wed Rachel, Laban's daughter. Jacob had to take Leah, Laban's elder daughter to wife first, and then Rachel later. By these daughters of Laban and their handmaids, Jacob begat twelve sons. Reuben was the eldest and the rightful heir to the birthright Promise (Gen.29). However, Reuben 'defiled his father's bed with one of Jacob's wives, Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel. This diverted the 'birthright blessing':

Gen 35:22   And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

     Naturally then, the next in line should have been Simeon, the second son of Jacob, and then Levi, ...Judah, and so on, but it was not to be.

Jacob then dwells in Canaan with his twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel, being from eldest to youngest: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and the youngest, Benjamin (Gen.30). Israel (Jacob) favoured Joseph more than his other sons, and his brethren hated him for this. Then Joseph had a dream and told to his brothers and to his father Jacob (Israel):

Gen 37:5   And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6    And he said unto them, "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7    For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

     This was a prophetic dream showing that Joseph and his offspring would receive the 'birthright' blessings of God's Covenant Promise to Israel. Joseph had yet another dream which his father Jacob even wondered at:

Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me."
10    And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?"

     What Jacob has said about Joseph being over all the other tribes is a fact, concerning the 'Birthright Blessings' of God's Covenant Promise. This will be further revealed as we go along. The original Covenant Promise included the 'Sceptre' of Rulership also, but that Royal Sceptre went to Judah:

Gen 49:10   The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.

Ps 60:6   God hath spoken in His holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7    Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of Mine head; Judah is My lawgiver;

 This is Jacob blessing his sons in Gen.49. That the Royal 'Sceptre' will always stay with Judah is fixed. It cannot change outside the tribe of Judah. Only with the coming of The True King Jesus Christ (Shiloh), will the Sceptre be handed over from the tribe of Judah. This is very important to keep in mind during these studies. With the tribe of Judah is the care of The Law, meaning God's Law, not man's. God through Moses gave Judah The Law. Much of this Law still stands today; it is not done away with as many would think. Our United States Constitution is based upon this same God's Law handed down to His People. Naturally then, some foreigners (not all), within America who are not of God's People wish to change this Law for their own reasons. This would be equal to someone from a foreign nation going to Jerusalem and wishing to change God's Law there also (I'm not saying it hasn't happened already in some degrees though, the importance of the matter is that God set up certain chosen Peoples to guard and protect It.)

1 Chr 5:1   Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
2    For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)

 With the above verses can be seen that the Covenant Promise originally given to Abraham, was divided into two parts, the heritage of 'Sceptre Rulership' to Judah, and secondly the 'Birthright Blessing' to Joseph. What were some of the events, which may have led to this? Let's continue the story of Joseph.
     Going back to Joseph and his brothers being envious of his dreams, they plotted against Joseph; to slay him, but Reuben and Judah talked the other brothers out of it, and it was decided to sell him into slavery. As his brothers had cast Joseph into an empty pit, while talking it over what to do with him, some Medianite merchants came by, pulled Joseph out of the pit, and the merchants sold Joseph, not his brothers. This put the cap on their crime so to speak; there was no turning back now. Joseph's brothers then had to smear lamb's blood on Joseph's multi-coloured coat, which his father Jacob had made for him, and then say to their father that Joseph was dead (Gen.37). As Joseph was sold into Egypt, he progressed by his God given ability to interpret Pharoah's dream, and was set up as second in rule over all Egypt. In that land Joseph took Asenath for wife, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On (Gen.41: 45). Asenath bear Joseph two sons, Manasseh the eldest, and Ephraim. The story of Jospeh's trials in Egypt, and the reconciliation with his family is a wonderful study, and I strongly suggest you read the account in Genesis starting around Chapter 37.

Gen 41:50   And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51    And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God” said he, "hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."
52    And the name of the second called he Ephraim: "For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."

     Jacob and all his offspring move to the land of Goshen in Egypt with Joseph, and Jacob (Israel) is near death and Joseph brings his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim unto Jacob.

Gen 48:3   And Jacob said unto Joseph, "GOD ALMIGHTY appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4    And said unto me, 'Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.'

The Birthright Blessing Goes To Joseph's Sons

    Jacob (Israel) is preparing to carry over the Birthright blessing, which God gave him at 'Luz'. Notice the phrase 'everlasting possession'? This means even unto the eternity. There is nothing here about divine rule, as that belongs to the tribe of Judah.

Gen 48:5   And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
6    And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

     In these verses, Jacob is bringing the sons of Joseph born to him in Egypt, into the National Name Israel. Manasseh and Ephraim are to be figured among the twelve tribes of Israel. Since Israel is the Covenant Birthright Name, this same name is delivered over from Jacob (also named 'Israel' by God), to Manasseh and Ephraim. God is giving us many hints at the conditions of 'names' dealing with heritage with this idea of Joseph carrying over the Name Israel.

Gen 48:13   And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
14    And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

     Now Israel (Jacob) had bad eyesight, but his right hand, which is for the elder firstborn blessing, was on Ephraim, the younger. Then came the blessing Promise from God given through Abraham and Isaac and Israel:

Gen 48:15   And he blessed Joseph, and said, "God, before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God Which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16    The Angel Which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

     With this blessing the National Name of Israel is transferred to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, with Ephraim the younger receiving the direct transfer of the 'Birthright Blessing', and will later also be called 'Israel', being the larger of all the other tribes. In many places later in The Old Testament, one will discover the names 'house of Israel', 'Ephraim', 'Joseph', and 'Samaria'. This word 'Samaria' was the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, with the other tribes included, except Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, which made up the Southern Kingdom of Israel, referred to in Scripture as the 'house of Judah', or 'Judah'. This will be brought out more as we continue.

Gen 48:18   And Joseph said unto his father, "Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head."
19    And his father refused, and said, "I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."

     Joseph is trying to correct his father's placement of his hands in the blessing, but divine providence overruled here. Ephraim the younger would become 'a multitude of nations'.
     Now it's time to stop and think for a moment. If Ephraim was to become 'a multitude of nations', which definitely means more than the Nation State of Israel today, then which nations are they? Likewise, if Manasseh was to become 'a great people' and nation, then they must also be excluded from today's land of Israel in the middleast. This word 'nations' in v.19 is 'gowy' in the Hebrew meaning 'a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile' (Strong's no.1471). A good question here might be, 'How can a people be figured as Gentilic and be called 'Israel' at the same time?" Well, we don't have a good trace on the lineage of Joseph's wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of the Egyptian city of On. So Ephraim and Manasseh are half Israelite (Joseph) and half Gentile (Egyptian). They are 'adopted' sons so to speak. So it was, and is, God's Plan, to scatter His People among the Gentiles, so they, who believe on Christ Jesus as Saviour, might become also, the adopted 'sons of God' in 'one', of both Israelite and Gentile (see John 1; Rom.8-9).
     It is important to understand about names for Judah also. The word 'Jew' wasn't used until the split between the northern part of Israel and the southern part, and it can apply to someone of the bloodline tribe of Judah, or to someone of foreign birth who happens to live in Judea, and take the name 'Jew' (see Esther 8:17). Those Israelites born from the other tribes are not Jewish. So one born of the tribe of Judah can be called both 'Jew', and also an Israelite from their heritage in Jacob (Israel). Mainly then, the word 'Jew' purely applies to the tribe of Judah only.
     For example, someone born of the Israelite tribes of Dan or Zebulun are not Jews, but they are Israelites, having Jacob also as their lineage. When one comes to realise this matter, and that those in Israel today claiming to be direct descendents from Isaac call themselves Jews, then where are the rest of the other tribe? It can easily be seen from Scripture that the number of the other tribes’ way outnumbered Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, with Ephraim being the largest before the split. So where are they? Some try to teach that all the other tribes mixed in with Judah, Benjamin, and Levi all in Judea (around Jerusalem), but the Book of Ezra gives us which tribes of Israel actually returned to Jerusalem after the captivities and how many:  a mere aprox. 44,000. The majority returning to Jerusalem along with Judah, Benjamin, and Levi were Nethinims, foreigners from other nations, i.e., Gentiles, as recorded in Ezra. It is not written in The Word that the other tribes of Israel returned from the Assyrian captivity.

Gen 48:20   And he blessed them that day, saying, "In thee shall Israel bless, saying, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh:'" and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
21    And Israel said unto Joseph, "Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
22    Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."

     Through this 'Birthright Blessing', Joseph received a double portion, which is the meaning of 'one portion above thy brethren'. As Ephraim and Manasseh are counted with the twelve tribes of Israel, with the double portion given through Joseph, we now have 'thirteen tribes', Ephraim taking the place of Joseph in carrying the largest portion of the Birthright, and Manasseh being the 'thirteenth', the second portion of the Birthright. Remember this number ‘thirteen’; it is a very important symbol for part of the 'house of Israel'. This is why we find the interchange of those names such as 'Joseph', 'Ephraim', 'Samaria', and 'house of Israel', swapped back and forth in Old Testament prophecy. They all refer to the 'Birthright' Blessing of God's Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the reason for so much confusion when studying the Books of the prophets. If one didn't understand God's Covenant Promises, then you would think that the 'house of Judah', the 'house of Israel', 'Joseph', 'Ephraim', 'Samaria', and 'Jerusalem' all meant the complete whole twelve tribes of Israel.
     Remember back to God's original Covenant Blessing to Abraham, that 'in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen.12:3); and to Jacob;

Gen.28: 14. "And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

You should realise that this can not mean just the little land over in the middleast today called Israel. If God's Word and Covenant Promise to Abraham were true, then many other peoples are involved. And as we have seen with the 'Birthright' blessings to Joseph's two sons, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are no longer found in the Israel state in the middleast.

     In this Study we have covered mainly one part of God's Covenant Promise to Abraham, that of the Birthright Blessing of wealth, resources, etc. The other part of Divine Rule was and is to stay with Judah until Shiloh (Jesus Christ) returns to set up His Kingdom upon this earth (Rev.20). The Covenant portion dealing with the Seed bloodline also stayed with Judah, that is, the lineage from 'the man Adam' down to Christ (I Chr.5).
     After the Exodus from Egypt of all 'thirteen tribes' back to Canaan, the first Nation state called Israel was set up, eventually with the first earthly king by the name of Saul. David was crowned king of Israel after Saul's departure, and Ephraim was the largest populated tribe of Israel which, lived in the northern geographical section of Israel. Judah's 'stay' was in Jerusalem, the capital of all Israel. In the next Letter, we'll start with the dividing up of Israel into two separate kingdoms, with two separate capital cities, Jerusalem in the south, and Samaria in the north.

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.

The Separation of Israel Into Two Kingdoms.

     We begin this study with an often-overlooked event by many in God's Word, that is, the separation of all Israel into two specific regions, and two specific 'houses'. After the twelve tribes of Israel sojourned out of Egypt led by God through Moses, they eventually settled in the land of Canaan after doing battle against God's enemies. This land Jehovah gave to His People forever, and Mount Zion is where God said He would dwell and rule evermore (Psalms 125; 78; Obadiah 1...).
At that first settlement and the establishing of the Nation of Israel, God's People wanted a human king, similar to the heathen nations around them. This made God angry, for He was and is our Rightful KING. Jehovah warned His People that they would be oppressed under a human Monarchy but knew the people would err with this as He foretold in Deut.17 (I Samuel 8; & 12; Deut.17: 14; Hosea 13). Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin was selected to reign over all Israel, but God eventually chose David, from the tribe of Judah, (unbroken in blood lineage, all the way back to the 'eth' Ha adham'), which is in line with His promise that Judah would always keep the 'Sceptre' of rulership over Israel (Gen.49: 10). After David, Solomon his son reigned in Jerusalem which King David conquered, and we begin the division of Israel with Solomon's fall from grace in following false 'gods' of wood, stone, and metal. We ask from our Father a word of Wisdom in Christ Yeshua's Name, Amen.

I King 11:1   But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

2    Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:" Solomon clave unto these in love.

     As King Solomon departed away from following the ways of his father David who followed The LORD, this made Jehovah very angry, and it is no different today. There are many today who follow the same traditions, which Solomon and his foreign wives established in the Temple. For one example, the Ashtoreth (the Phoenician goddess of love; Strong's no. 6253), which Solomon followed after as written in I Kings 11:5, is still being followed after today by modern occultists.
     God even 'appeared' unto Solomon 'twice' concerning these abominations, but he would not 'return' unto Him (I Kings 11:9). Is that an act of love from our Father directly to Solomon or what? For this reason of Solomon falling away, becoming apostate to our heavenly Father, God gave the following punishment:

I King 11:11   Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, "Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

12    Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

13    Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."

     In these verses of I Kings 11 is given by God the reason for the split of the Nation of Israel into two separate 'kingdoms'. The date this prophecy is given here in I Kings is around 897-890 B.C. Notice that God said He would not 'rend away all the kingdom' of Israel, 'but will give one tribe' to Solomon's son Rehoboam. Which tribe would that be? It was Judah, the Royal Sceptre tribe. Since Levi is not to have any national heritage of land as the other tribes, i.e., their heritage being of God, they are always figured in with the tribe of Judah (Num.3 & 18). Benjamin will be also, as we will later discover in Scripture.
     As can be seen with Solomon's acts of turning away from our Father, and worshipping all sorts of idols instead, this is also the heart of the matter for us today. Many things can become an idol in our lives, a car, a house, even a loved one whom we put first instead of God. There's probably no better way to create divisions among our loved ones, and literally bring misfortune upon us than to deny God in our lives, turning to worship the things of the world. We justly deserve what we bring upon ourselves by not following Him. What is truly amazing to me is how Solomon, who had direct experience from our Father's Holy Presence, and yet, he still refused to turn away from idols. I'm not judging Solomon. If it hadn't happened, the western Christian nations would not exist as they do today. Thus, this event by Solomon is a very important link in the cause of the split between the two houses of Israel, and the method of this event should be weighed very carefully in our minds today.
     Which major Commandments from God were violated by Solomon? Exod.20:3: 'Thou shalt have no other gods before Me". Exod 20:4: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:". Exod.20:5 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;". (Many forget to read the last part of verse 5: 'of them that hate me'. Some would teach that God would punish a child for their parent's sin, but that is a false traditional belief of man; it's not written. Each person is responsible for their own actions with Jehovah; that is written (Jer.17: 10).  If... each generation continues in following abominations, then they will be punished; simple as that.)

    That prophecy given to Solomon was towards the 'house of Judah'. Did God give another prophecy of the coming division to the 'house of Israel' (the then northern tribes of Israel)? Yes. It begins later in the same Chapter of I Kings 11. The prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite, then meets Jeroboam, an Ephrathite and a son from the 'house of Joseph', in a field and gives him the prophecy also (Ephrathite is Ephrathiy in the Hebrew, meaning from the tribe of Ephraim, and from Ephrath; Strong's no.673). This Jeroboam was put "...over all the charge of the house of Joseph" by King Solomon (I Kings 11:28). If you've been with me in these studies so far, then you should know who 'the house of Joseph' is; i.e., Ephraim and Manasseh, along with the remaining ten northern tribes of Israel, excluding Judah, Benjamin, and Levi who resided in the south in Judea near Jerusalem, then capital of all Israel. This verse of I Kings 11:28 is how we know that Ephraim, put for the largest of the ten northern tribes of Israel, represents all of those ten tribes in the north. Even during this time of Solomon and his son Rehoboam, the greatest population of Israel dwelt in the northern geographical land of Israel.
      I put the two names of Rehoboam and Jeroboam in bold in the last paragraph for a reason; to bring your attention to the similarity in the two names, with each representing a different part of God's Covenant Promise to Jacob, Rehoboam for Judah the Royal Sceptre tribe, and Jeroboam for Ephraim the leader of the northern ten tribes representing Joseph, the Birthright Blessing 'double portion', inheriting the national name of 'Israel'. Do you think our Father caused that similarity on purpose? Kind of seems so doesn't it? It's there like an anchor and very difficult to miss, yet many do just that. Why? Is it because they're not really serious when it comes to studying God's Word? Or is it that Satan and his wish to hide this heritage link, which when understood, prooves that God's Promises to His People are true? It's almost taboo to mention the idea of bloodline lineage in some circles today. Wonder why? What's being taught instead?
     Continuing back with I Kings 11, the prophet Ahijah meets Jeroboam (Ephraimite) coming out of Jerusalem in a field, and Jeroboam had on 'a new garment':

I King 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:

1 Kings 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:

What in the world did Ahijah do that for? He literally tore Jeroboam's coat (salmah, an outer garment), and then began to rip it into twelve separate pieces.

I Kings 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:

God gives these types of examples on purpose, you can be assured. Why? To get our attention. Because He's trying to tell us something much deeper. This is the same prophecy given to Solomon, but the inverse, because this is to the 'house of Joseph', not 'the house of Judah' and Solomon's offspring, which would stay in Jerusalem as written back in verse 13 of this same Chapter 11.

I King 11:32   (But he shall have one tribe for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)

Again this 'he' is referring to the prophecy God gave to Solomon concerning the dividing up of the twelve tribes, giving the lineage of David one tribe, which is Judah.

I King 11:33   Because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and My judgments, as did David his father.

I King 11:34   Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David My servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes:

 Verse 33 is letting us know that Solomon was not alone in this false idol worship. God didn't do this just because of one man's sin. Following the idols of other nations has been the major problem by both 'houses' all along; so all blame can't be put upon Solomon. If you'll go back to during Solomon's building of the Temple, and even during David's time, many of the nations crept in and mixed with God's People in Israel (see Judges 1 & 2 also). The Kenites (sons of Cain) would also eventually move to Judea and begin calling themselves Jews (Jer.35). So the People had a little help from Satan's children who were beginning to really set into the Holy Stay of Judah during Solomon's reign. Because Solomon was given Wisdom by God making him powerful upon the earth, all the other nations feared his Wisdom and strength from God, and thus peace and free trade between the heathen nations ensued. A mixing was the result.
     Remember, this is God speaking through the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam (Ephraimite), but this part covered here is concerning the fate of Solomon's lineage Rehoboam, of Judah.

I King 11:35   But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

     As I have said elsewhere in my Letters, the Truth dealing with the 'lost ten tribes' is not a myth, nor a legend, but it is God's Word. It is written! Anyone denying this Truth here given directly from our Father through His prophet Ahijah has not the Light of The Spirit in him.
This verse reverts back to Jeroboam (Ephraim), and he is to receive 'the kingdom' of 'ten tribes', as Solomon's son Rehoboam in Jerusalem will keep 'one tribe'. God made this message very simple, so I don't know how anyone could miss it. There is more in this verse, though it will not be fully understood until later. There is importance behind the phrase 'I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand'. This alludes eventually to Judah, specifically in Jerusalem, losing the Royal Sceptre later on.

I King 11:36   And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a light alway before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.

      This reverts back to the subject of Jerusalem and the one tribe Judah again. Note the word 'alway'? This means God has set Jerusalem to always be inhabited by Judah, but not necessarily as ruler over all Israel. How is it today? Does today's Nation of Israel have a King on the throne in the City of David in Jerusalem? No. The last king from the house of Judah in Jerusalem was King Zedekiah during the days of Jeremiah the prophet. Remember that God said the Royal Sceptre would always stay with Judah? (Gen.49:10). Then if the Nation State of Israel today does not have a king, then did God mess up with that promise? Absolutely not! Later in this Study on the Lost Ten Tribes, we'll get into the story of the 'scarlet thread', meaning another bloodline offspring of Judah descended from Tamar in Gen.38. There are bloodline descendants from Judah elsewhere in the world today which do have kings and queens set up by God, and they rule over Israel! Hang on to that thought.

I King 11:37   And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

      God is still giving this prophecy to Jeroboam the Ephrathite, who represents 'the house of Joseph' at this stage. Notice God is telling Jeroboam that he 'shalt be king over Israel'? Does this mean then that wherever the majority of the ten tribes are located, those are to be known as Israel? According to God yes, but according to man no. The 'true' Israel, which God set up, is still split today, meaning the twelve tribes, even though the Nation State of Israel today in the middleast is known to the world as Israel. If you've understood God's Covenant Promises concerning Joseph receiving the 'Birthright' and Judah the 'Royal Sceptre', then it shouldn't be difficult to see.

I King 11:38   And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways, and do that is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

I King 11:39  And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.'"

     Again, this is God speaking through His prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam. This phrase 'build thee a sure house' means God will give Jeroboam a kingdom of 'the right hand', or of justice and moral followers. In other words, a righteous People unto God who will follow and seek Him and receive for their reward God's Blessings.
The next verse let's us know that by this prophecy God took the kingdom out of the 'house of David' and gave it to the 'house of Joseph', i.e., the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, later to be known as the 'house of Israel' as written in God's Word. Before the anointing of David as king over the 'house of Judah' in II Samuel 2, the first occurrence of that phrase, the term 'all the house of Israel' applied to all twelve tribes. At this division of the kingdom by God with Jeroboam, the 'house of Israel' is to now apply only to the ten-tribe northern kingdom of Israel, not Judah, and not the 'house of Judah', and not at Jerusalem. In this verse 39 of 1 Kings 11, God is telling us that He will not keep this separation between the two 'houses' forever. Consider the following when The LORD spoke to Ezekiel the prophet about the joining back of 'both houses of Israel':

Ezek 37:16   "Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17  And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

18    And when the children of thy People shall speak unto thee, saying, 'Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?'

19    Say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.'"

This joining back of the two houses of Israel will happen when Shiloh (Jesus Christ) returns, for He is KING of 'all the House of Israel', not just Jerusalem and Judah, or the Jews. This is why Christ would even suffer mockery at His sacrifice with a sign saying 'THE KING OF THE JEWS' (Mark 15:26; 15:32). That sign the Romans put up over His head. The Pharisees despised this act, for it insinuated that Jesus (who they taught was just a prophet), was their just King Messiah. But as we now know, many of these Jews have yet to this day to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Pontius Pilate was the main instigator of this mockery, because he knew Jesus was innocent and he was doing it to mock the priests, elders, and Pharisees (Mark 15:9-10). As even some of the Apostles of Christ thought He had come to set up His Kingdom upon earth at His first Advent, they reckoned He would actually be 'King of the Jews' then. Christ's Mission was as Saviour for the sins of the whole world, to be sacrificed for us, becoming our Passover Lamb as written. For that Mission at His first Advent (coming), He was most Powerful, but meek as a little 'lamb' in order to fulfill prophecy.
This next Advent, Jesus Christ will be coming into His Kingdom to Rule with 'a rod of iron' (Rev.2:27; 12:5; 19:15). He's going to give out a lot of discipline when He returns this next time. Since Christ's Second Advent upon this earth is when His Kingdom will be established 'everlasting', it will be over all Israel and all the earth (Zech.14; Ezek.37). There are those in Jerusalem now who are preparing for the coming of Messiah, but there is one big problem; they haven't accepted Jesus Christ's first coming as Messiah, so they believe the appearance of a Messiah in our near future will be the first Advent, not the second and final. For this reason, for not loving the Truth, God is bringing a false one, 'a spurious messiah', i.e., Satan himself in the attempted role of Christ, as 'anti-Christ', 'strong delusion', and then our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will appear to defeat that false messiah, returning to claim His Kingdom (II Thess.2; Ezekiel 28; Isaiah 14; Matt.24; Mark 13; Luke 21).
     After the prophecy given to Jeroboam by God, King Solomon died and his son Rehoboam reigned as king in Jerusalem (I Kings 11:43). Jeroboam who was over 'the house of Joseph' and an Ephraimite, came with the People of Israel (northern tribes) to Jerusalem in order to ask Rehoboam to lighten his father's burden on them with the building of the Temple, etc. Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and the heir to the throne of 'all Israel' at that time, refused, and said he would make his father Solomon's 'yoke' on the northern tribes of Israel even greater (I Kings 12). To this Jeroboam and the northern tribes responded with:

I King 12:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David." So Israel departed unto their tents.

17. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

     They refer to 'David' and 'the son of Jesse' because that represents the tribe of Judah at Jerusalem. The primitive text of the phrase 'to your tents' read 'to your gods' in the Hebrew, because by separating from Judah and Jerusalem, they were forsaking the proper worship of Jehovah, opting for the golden calf worship. Jeroboam would then set up in the north.¹
 After this event of rebellion by the northern tribes against the 'house of Judah', these tribes then set Jeroboam up as their king in the north:

I King 12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

20    And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.At this consequence Rehoboam, the rightful king in Jerusalem, brought together the people around Jerusalem:

I King 12:21   And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

At this God told Rehoboam not to do battle against their brethren, the ten tribes of Israel in the north, for this matter was of Him (I Kings 12:24). We know Solomon and Jeroboam knew about the division of the two houses, but this must have been the first time God had revealed it to Rehoboam, Solomon's son.
     Notice that Rehoboam 'assembled' Benjamin and Judah together? This means that Benjamin is also figured with the tribe of Judah, even as it is today in the modern Nation State of Israel. Well what about the Levites? When Jeroboam became king over the 'house of Israel' in the north; to prevent Judah and Jerusalem from becoming any stronger by the devout of the northern tribes migrating to Judah in the south, he set up 'two calves of gold' for Israel to worship, one in Beth-el (means 'House of God'), the place where Jacob's Pillar dwelt, and the other golden calf in Dan. He then promoted the lowest of the People to be priests over these idols for the People to serve (I Kings 12:27-31). These false priests were not of the sons of Levi, which was a requirement by God for proper worship. The Levites in these northern tribal areas then all moved down to Jerusalem, becoming joined with Judah and Benjamin, even to this day (II Chron.11).
     Therefore, at this point forward, the 'house of Judah' always refers to the three tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, all dwelling in the south in Jerusalem making up Judea, and includes 'some' of those from the other tribes already living in Jerusalem, and some which moved to Jerusalem who refused the golden calf worship of Jeroboam in the north (II Chron.11:16). This means that the majority of Israel still remained in the north, the 'ten tribes' which God prophesied through Ahijah that He would take away from the 'house of David'. Since Manasseh and Ephraim were half-tribes of the 'double portion' Blessing given to Joseph, they were larger than the others, with Ephraim being the largest, and already 'ordained' to be 'leader' over the remainder of the ten.
     The capital city Jerusalem of all Israel, which began with King David, stayed with the 'house of Judah', i.e., Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. However, the capital city of the new northern kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam serving the 'house of Israel’ became Samaria. The words 'Ephraim', 'Samaria', and the 'house of Israel' became interchangeable in The Word after the split of the two houses:

Isa 7:9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.''"

Amos 6:1   Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

     With the first verse example, the 'head of Ephraim is Samaria', meaning the city of Samaria in the northern kingdom of the land of Israel is where the 'head of Ephraim' ruled. Well who is the 'head of Ephraim' and whom did he rule? The first king was this Jeroboam, the king God set over the ten tribes in the north, the 'house of Israel'.

     The next verse example of Amos is talking about the 'house of Judah' with 'them that are at ease in Zion'. The reference to 'Samaria' is to Ephraim and the 'house of Israel', the ten tribes. Who might this be, 'which are named chief of the nations', and also where the 'house of Israel' migrated? It is to the modern western Christian nations of Europe and the Americas, with Ephraim (Great Britain) still as its head. This means that these verses of Amos 6, and much of the whole Book of Amos, and others, are all prophecy given to today's modern 'house of Israel', the western Christian nations.

     This may have been a redundant study for many that are already aware of the split between the tribes of Israel into two separate houses, but for the sake of posing a solid foundation in God's Truth, it must be covered for those struggling in The Word, because much of God's Word will remain a mystery without this foundation on the two houses of Israel. If you've been with me so far in this study, a big 'veil' of mystery should be departing concerning today's alignment of nations in the western world. Next time I'll pull more of these verse links together for you, God's Holy Spirit willing, and the veil of even many New Testament writings should also begin to be removed.

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.

The House of Israel Scattered to Assyria.

     In the last Manasseh/Ephraim Study we covered the separation of Israel under King Solomon's son Rehoboam, into two distinct Kingdoms, one in Jerusalem to include the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, and the other Kingdom with Jeroboam as its king in the northern territory of Israel, which included all the other tribes, with Ephraim being the largest, which was also the tribe of this Jeroboam. The capital city over the northern ten tribe Kingdom of Israel was in Samaria, which is also referred to in Scripture as 'Ephraim', 'Joseph', and the 'house of Israel'. The southern Kingdom of Judea was called the 'house of Judah'.
     If you'll remember in the previous Manasseh/Ephraim studies, verses that point out the difference between these two Peoples, with this study, I'll now cover more examples to that same effect in Scripture as we ask a word of Wisdom from our Father in Christ's Name, Amen.

The Levites move to Jerusalem.

II Chron.11: 5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

     Just in case I didn't cover from the last study that the tribe of Levi left the northern tribes of Israel and moved to Jerusalem, here are the verses so there will be no doubt. Here Rehoboam is defending Judea and Jerusalem, but from whom? From the northern Kingdom of the 'house of Israel', the ten tribes God gave to Jeroboam in Samaria. Let's skip to verse 12:

II Chron.11: 12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14 For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD:

15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

16 And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

     Notice it is written that all those who didn't agree with Jeroboam's 'golden calf' worship also left the northern ten tribes and moved to Jerusalem to the 'house of Judah'. Some would try to say this migration of some of the ten tribes to Jerusalem proves that all of them moved to Jerusalem, but they are in error, for The Word has a lot to say yet about this northern Kingdom under Jeroboam in Samaria, the 'house of Israel'.

The Two Houses of Israel

Jer 33:7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against Me.

     I apologize for skipping around in verse, but that's how it must be done when studying a particular subject or idea in God's Word.
     In this verse of Jeremiah, God is saying He will bring the captivity of His People back to the land He gave their forefathers. Many are taught this happened in 1948 in today's nation of Israel, under U.N. Charter. You will note in this 7th verse of Jer.33 that God is making a distinction between the 'captivity of Judah' verses the 'captivity of Israel'. I'm going to give more examples of God's Word marking this difference, so bear with me.
     One should also note verse 8 with, "...and I will pardon all their iniquities...” Has this happened yet? No, as the majority of the 'house of Judah' still haven't accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. So you should realise Jer.33: 8 here is yet future, when Christ returns to reign as KING and LORD.

Jer 30:3 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.' "

Jer 13:11   For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto Me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto Me for a People, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

The final joining of the two 'houses' of Israel has not happened yet to our day. Those who believe it has are hanging their hats up too early when trying to understand what period we are in, according to God's prophets. Well what am I talking about? This: many in Jerusalem of the 'house of Judah' are waiting for Messiah Jesus, for the first Advent, not the last and final return of Christ. The joining of the two 'houses' will happen as God gave us back in Gen.49: 10, that is, when Shiloh (Jesus Christ) returns, and 'to Him will the gathering of the People be'. So where will Christ return to when he comes in our near future? -

Acts 1:11 Which also said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, Which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."

12    Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

Zech 14:4 And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Micah 1:3   For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4    And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
5    For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

God will return 'to earth' is the main point I wish to establish with these verses. We are not going up in the sky, He is coming to earth, and to rule over the earth, setting up His Perfect Kingdom, an everlasting Monarchy Kingdom (Rev.11:15). The previous verses dealing with the 'gathering' of His People, the two 'houses' of Israel, will be back to the land God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It doesn't take much common sense to see that the opposite events are now happening in and around Jerusalem, for the modern nation state we call Israel of today is dwindling away, with the U.N. chipping at it, and giving it to other peoples and nations. As Christ said in Mark 13:7, "And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet."  Well what's the opposite of 'wars and rumours of wars'? It is peace, peace, peace, and there is no peace. That's exactly what we've been hearing lately, so we are very, very close to Christ's return.
Your probably wondering where I'm going with this. Those in Jerusalem are preparing for an earthly King because they of Judah and of the priesthood have the Hebrew manuscripts to help them interpret God's Word rightly. The problem is that they believe this final Kingdom now being set up by Satan's host, the 'New World Order' bunch, are bringing in God's Kingdom. Because these 'beasts' (Kenites, i.e., sons of Cain) and their 'beast' one world order system is a false 'material' system to be set up on this earth, much like the false Babylon kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar during Daniel the prophet's days; certain false ones (sons of Cain, i.e. the 'false Jews' Christ named in Rev.2: 9 & 3:9) are purposefully misteaching and misrepresenting God's Word to the world. Some of the nations mixed in the priesthood of Levi as recorded in Ezra, and they're misleading many of the true bloodline tribe of Judah. Consider the following:

Zech 14:20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts."

     This is why these false ones must make the world believe that both 'houses' of Israel are already together in the nation state of Israel today; so they can establish the 'lie', bringing in their king, Satan, as 'a spurious Messiah' (Matt.24: 24 & Mark 13:22 in the Greek). If we listen to God's side of the story, which I am partly covering with this Lost Tribe study, then we know the opposite is true, for both the 'house of Judah' and the 'house of Israel' are not back together yet.
     Another clue to this idea from some of these previous verses here deal with God's use of the term 'captivity'. Did you notice back in Jer.30:3 God said He would bring the 'captivity again' of both 'houses'? What 'captivity'? With this Lost Tribe study, we are working our way towards the first 'captivities' of both 'houses', the 'house of Judah' in captivity for 70 years to Babylon, and the captivity of the 'house of Israel' to Assyria. Thus God is also letting us know that as He punished both 'houses' with those 'captivities', He will again bring the 'captivity' of both 'houses' again, but the last time will be back to Him, specifically at the 'gathering' to Christ Jesus when He returns (see Gen.49: 10).
     So what does the last statement in this verse mean: ".

In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of host"?  The Kenites (sons of Cain; Strong's no. 7014) had crept into the house of Judah at Jerusalem, as these Kenites were mixed in the sons of Canaan. Remember that Canaan was a son of Ham, the son of Noah? These Kenites eventually took over the priesthood after the return of the house of Judah from the Babylonain captivity. When our Lord and Saviour comes, these 'Canaanites' who crept into Judah's 'stay', will be cast out. (Wheat & Tares)
     The reason why it's important to grasp the different references to the separate 'houses' in God's Word, is because it allows us to understand His Word that He gave us through His prophets. Those of you who now understand that split of the two 'houses' should now go back and re-study the Book of Jeremiah, which is mainly about and to the 'house of Judah' concerning the last days, and the Book of Ezekiel, which is to the 'house of Israel' concerning the last days. Both Books mention the two 'houses', but each have a separate Message specifically to each 'house'. They were history, but are a type of repeating history, and reveal much of what is going on in our world today.

II Kings 1:3   But the Angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, 'Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?

    At this time, Ahaziah was king over the 'house of Israel', in Samaria. Because of this term "the king of Samaria", you should consider closely how this term Samaria is used in the prophets, for it is here applied to the northern kingdom of the ten tribes, not Judah or Jerusalem. You will also see the terms 'Joseph' or 'Samaria' linked with certain cities that were only in the northern territory of Israel, such as Bethel (where Jacob's Pillar was), and Mount Carmel.

God Scatters the House of Israel.

Hosea 7:1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria:

     If you follow the lineage of kings from both ‘houses’ after the split of Israel into two kingdoms there in I Kings.11, you’ll find that many times both ‘houses’ were guilty of idol worship and turned away from our heavenly Father. Remember, this is the reason why God parted Israel in the first place, other than reasons for the fulfillment of His overall Plan. There were many cases where the future kings of the ‘house of Israel’ in Samaria followed the worship of the ‘golden calves’ as when Jeroboam first set it up. Jeroboam even placed one of the ‘golden calf’ idols in Bethel. Abram built an altar to God at Bethel (Gen.12:8), and this same Bethel was where Jacob had the vision and anointed the ‘Pillar’, so I hope you get the parallel, that this idol of a gold calf no doubt made God very angry. We’ll get more into the ‘spiritual significance’ of that ‘Pillar’ at Bethel later on.

II Kings 15:27 In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.

28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-ma’achah, and Jonoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

     We now go to the reign of Pekah, king of the ‘house of Israel’ in Samaria. Notice that the false worship with the ‘golden calves’ that Jeroboam set up continued in the land? This ‘Tiglath-pileser’ means ‘thou will uncover the wonderful bond’ in the Hebrew (Strong’s no. 8407; Brown-Driver-Briggs). The areas and Peoples of the ‘house of Israel’ this Assyrian king took were: ‘Ijon’- of the northern tribe Naphtali; ‘Abel-beth-ma’achah’ – some of Ephraim; ‘Jonoah’ – some of Ephraim; ‘Kedesh’ – Naphtali; ‘Hazor’ – also Naphtali; ‘Gilead’ – portions of the half tribe Manasseh; ‘Galilee’ – Naphtali. This was the ‘first captivity’ of carrying the ten northern tribes to Assyria. None of the ‘house of Judah’ were involved in this captivity.

II Kings 17:4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

     This particular king of Assyria was Shalmaneser, but Sargon would be the one to win the siege of Samaria, the capitol city of the ‘house of Israel’. The fact that the king of Assyria could go through the land of northern Israel like this, and then siege Samaria for three years without much effort, let’s us know that many of the peoples of those ten tribes must have already been carried away to Assyria. Here this city capital of Israel, Samaria was the last stronghold of the then remaining ten tribes in the north.

II Kings 17:6-9
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, Which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

     I strongly suggest you read in this Chapter of II Kings 17 the remaining verses where God describes the sins of the ‘house of Israel’. That’s a list of abominations they were doing, and it still applies for us today. It hasn’t changed one iota.

II Kings 17:18-20
18    Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.

     This is very plain that God removed the ten tribes of the ‘house of Israel’ out of the land He gave them for their heritage, and instead sent them to a foreign land under captors, to Assyria. Notice that the ‘house of Judah’ was following the same abominable worship as ‘Joseph’ ‘made’. That word ‘made’ is very important; for God had already laid out the Commandments and Statutes we are to follow. He doesn’t like mere mortals playing around with His Law, turning their backs on it. I hear there are some People in Alabama law who are pressing to allow a copy of The Ten Commandments to hang on the walls of school classrooms and courtrooms once again! Thank The Lord that He left us a ‘remnant’ that set good examples for all peoples everywhere. One more verse:

II Kings 17:23. Until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

    Again, we know this ‘Israel’ is not referring to the ‘house of Judah’, because of the previous verses, and the captivity to follow the ten tribes. And I say unto our day also, for it is nowhere written in The Word that the ten tribes returned. Nor during the birth of the State of Israel in 1948 by U.N. Charter vote, for the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi are there in Judea. The rest are foreigners, which make up the majority of people in the land. You’ll find similarities to all these events here in I and II Kings; also written in I and II Chronicles. The difference being that Kings is a historical point of view, and Chronicles give more reasons why these events took place. Study those four Books hand in hand together and you’ll reap much insight.

II Kings 17:24    And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

     So God removed all of the ten tribes of Israel and allowed peoples from five specific nations to abide in their place. They all brought their own ‘gods’ with them also. This was the deeper message our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was alluding to in John 4 when dealing with the Samaritan (from Samaria) woman at the well who had ‘five husbands’. Christ told her “Ye worship ye know not what:” (John 4:22). Each one of those ‘five husbands’ represents being ‘married’ to the wrong ‘bridegroom’ in false worship of idols. The deeper teaching in the Gospel there to us today, is to be careful in worship, know the difference in bowing down to idols and false pagan doctrines that can creep into the True worship of our Father Jehovah through His Son Jesus Christ. The Word of God is our guide, not man’s traditions.
     This study covered the captivity to Assyria of the ‘house of Israel’, the lost ten tribes. They’re not really lost, because our Father knows where He placed them. Next time we will cover the Babylonian captivity of the ‘house of Judah’, and their return to Jerusalem, as written in The Word, then the hard road dealing with how to discover in God’s Word His Messages where He would scatter the ten tribes of the ‘house of Israel’, and the path they took.

Peace to you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey

The Babylonian Captivity of The House of Judah.

     In the last study dealing with the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, we covered some very important key verses from God's Word, that let us know there was a separation of Israel into two distinct Kingdoms. We further were given knowledge of the captivity of the 'house of Israel', being those ten tribes who resided in the northern territories of Israel, and specifically who replaced them and became known as the Samaritans of Jesus' time and later. Consider the following verses, as we ask a Word of Wisdom from our Father in Jesus' Precious Name, Amen.

II Kings 17:21-23
21 For He rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

     God is talking about the 'house of Judah' with the phrase 'house of David', and 'Israel' in these verses only apply to the 'house of Israel', or the Ten Tribes in the north of Israel. We also know from the previous studies in Scripture that Jeroboam was the king over the 'house of Israel' or 'house of Joseph', Ephraim, Samaria, etc. We know this 'Israel' as it appears here marks the Ten Tribes because of the separation and context of the subject in these verses. Why might this be important? You'll find this subtle distinction using the word 'Israel' in other Books of The Word, and you should be aware of their usage according to the subject flow. This is why pulling single verses out of God's Word only in order to teach by, does not give the full Message of His Word, and if The Word is not 'rightly divided' into subject and object, it will create confusion. As with this verse 21, your other marker is the 'house of David' within the same verse as 'Israel', letting you know to mark that difference. The word 'Israel' can also apply to the 'house of Judah', but usually there are no other 'markers' in the same verse when that happens. Many pass over this point, mainly I believe, because they have not been properly taught in The Word. But if you have been with me in this Lost Tribe study, these 'markers' dealing with the two 'houses' should jump out at you when you read them in The Word now, and this will help give you a fullness that was previously missing in your understanding of The Word.

II Kings 17:19-20
19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.

     As the 'house of Israel' forgot The Lord and His Commandments, following the idol worship set up by Jeroboam in Beth-el and Dan, so also did the 'house of Judah' eventually follow in the same abominations. For this reason, God cast all of His People out of His sight, out of the whole land of Israel. Who might the word 'spoilers' apply to? 'Spoilers' in this verse refer to one particular spoiler, that is Satan. It is plural here because the followers of Satan were the ones who took Israel away out of their land. The Ten Tribes went first, and then the three tribes in Judea making up the 'house of Judah' went into captivity to Babylon for seventy years, as prophesied by God through Jeremiah.

Jer 3:6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, "Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Jer 3:7 And I said after she had done all these things, 'Turn thou unto Me.' But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

     As the 'house of Israel' had played the 'harlot', with the false worship Jeroboam king of Samaria set up in the north, so also did the 'house of Judah' likewise. Ezekiel 23 labels the two 'houses' of Israel as two sister harlots, one named Aholah (ten tribes), and the other Aholibah (house of Judah). That's what is meant here in Jeremiah 3 with this analogy.

Jer 3:8    And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

     This makes God a 'divorcee'. Divorce is like a murder in the family, and this is why Satan's children have made it so easy to get a divorce based on silly behaviour in many family situations. Don't misunderstand me, for some; divorces are justified. But it's all too easy after a couple get married, and not long after, our court systems allow them to divorce on shaky reasons, and not according to God's Law.
     If you'll remember that 'adultery' is a valid reason for divorce in God's Law, hence God is here showing us how He put away his 'wife' the 'house of Judah' whom He had swaddled, clothed with fine linen, and adorned with precious jewels, all in the sense of cherishing a lovely 'wife'. You'll find this analogy given in Ezekiel 16, and I suggest you read it, for it is some of the most beautiful Words of God expressing His Love for the place He has chosen to dwell in the eternity. It will help you in understanding the symbols in God's Word dealing with 'The Bridegroom' as Christ, and 'spiritual adultery' by playing the 'harlot' in following false worship. Babylon (Babel) is the cause and root of this spiritual harlotry system that is threaded through many of the world's religions, yes, even in many so-called Christian Churches which have and are playing the 'harlot' by not teaching our Father's Word, but man's traditions instead.

Jer 3:9. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

     This 'adultery with stones' is with building false altars upon the high mountains, etc. The word 'stocks' is 'ets' in the Hebrew, meaning a 'tree', but comes from the Hebrew root 'atsah' meaning 'to close the eyes' (Strong's nos. 6086;6095). I hope you remember that Satan promised that Eve's eyes would be opened in Genesis, but in the Hebrew, Adam and Eve's eyes were closed after their sin, meaning they didn't become 'as gods', which Satan had promised. Nothing has changed today in modern times; these abominations are abundant today just as much back in Jeremiah's day.

Jer 3:10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
11 And the LORD said unto me, "The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

     The word 'feignedly' is 'sheqer' in the Hebrew meaning 'to sham' (Strong's no. 8267). So they would look so religious, and appear outwardly spiritual, but it was all a big 'sham'. God knows when we try to fool Him. Nothing slips by His notice. How's it today folks? Is this playing Church and appearing so holy on the outside still going on today in Christ's Churches? Not all, but enough. That's why you should choose the Church you go to wisely, much as you would be careful about which Doctor you went to for your flesh body's healing. In both cases, the Truth should be your goal when choosing.

Judah is cast out.

     I spent some time documenting how the 'house of Judah' was responsible for the same abominations as her 'elder sister' the 'house of Israel'. You'll discover many more verses in God's Word describing this scenario. The idea of false worship and turning away from our Father begins in Genesis and ends with the Book of Revelation. And it applies to all nations, not just Judah and Joseph. Some in our Christian Churches teach that it's all the 'Jews' fault, and that is a lie that Satan loves to push, because he must hide his followers who have crept into both 'Houses'. Many times our brother Judah is wrongly blamed for acts that were committed by the Kenites (sons of Cain) who also call themselves 'Jews', for the word 'Jew' as used in God's Word, especially in The New Testament Greek means someone from the Tribe of Judah, or...someone who lives in Judea and not of the Israelite bloodline. So both 'houses' had a little prodding by the Kenite or 'false Jew' in following the abomination of false worship, but still, there's no excuse, especially today, for God has given us His Word to follow. The only way to be deceived is to not listen to God and follow the world instead, being insincere and immature, believing on man's religious systems instead of Christ.

II Kings 23:27 And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, "My name shall be there."

     God chose Jerusalem to be His dwelling place on earth. There are many places in Scripture to confirm this, here's a few: Deut.12: 11; I Kings 8:43; I Kings 11:36. He also chose Judah to rule over His House. When Christ returns for the Second Advent, both 'houses' will be gathered together again, and God's House in Jerusalem will be purged of all the dross that was allowed to creep into it. No one is going anywhere up in the clouds to live in the eternity, for heaven is wherever God is. Christ will be King of kings and Lord of lords upon this earth. This subject dealing with the two 'houses' and the putting back of God's Kingdom upon this earth with Its Holy stay in Jerusalem is one reason why many Christian Churches don't really get into these parts of The Old Testament. It destroys the idea of being 'raptured' up in the clouds, living in a heaven in the air and not on this earth which God said He created to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18), and is where He will dwell in the eternity (Ezekiel 48:35).
     God brought the 'spoiler' Nebuchadnezzar upon His chosen city Jerusalem (house of Judah) to do all these things written in this verse of II Kings 23:27. Again why? For turning away from Him.

Jer 25:11-13
11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
13 And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

     The Book of Jeremiah is where you'll find the first Message God gave through His prophet Jeremiah to the 'house of Judah' concerning the Babylon captivity of 'seventy years'. This is historical; it actually happened, but; it is also a blueprint for the last 'one world government' system, called again Babylon which is virtually upon us today. Notice the last verse with 'which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations'. This applies to today also. If one studies this Book of Jeremiah along with Revelation, many of today's alignments of the nations against Jerusalem will be revealed in Scripture. The main difference in the 'seventy years' of Judah's captivity and for us today is for a symbol of the 'seven years' tribulation our Lord gave us in The New Testament, and of course Daniel. That time for us was shortened to '3 1/2' years, and then to 'five months', for the sake of the elect (see Matt.24; Mark 13; Luke 21; and Rev.9; also see the Book of Daniel).

Jer 7:11-15
11 Is this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
12 But go ye now unto My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My People Israel.
13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by My name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
15 And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.' '

There should be no doubt that God is speaking to the 'house of Judah' only, here in these verses. 'Shiloh' is another symbolic name for Christ, and was the city in northern Israel which first housed the Tabernacle worship when the Israelites came to Canaan. It is important to also note that the city Bethel (house of God) was very close to this city Shiloh also. Bethel was the dwelling place of 'Jacob's Pillar' stone brought from the wilderness sojourn to Canaan, and one centre of 'golden calf' worship that Jeroboam (first king over the 'house of Israel') set up after the twelve tribes split into two kingdoms.

Jer 52:27
27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

     You'll find this same verse in II Kings 25:21, and also another record of these events when the King of Babylon took Judah into captivity to Babylon all there in II Kings 25. The Book of Jeremiah is very important for understanding the Babylon captivity of the 'house of Judah', and the details leading up to the Babylon captivity, including the carrying away of Judah, are all given there.

Judah returns to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2:1   Now these are the children of the Province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

God promised that Babylon would become a waste and desolation after the seventy year captivity of Judah, and that's exactly what happened. Persia (under Cyrus, King of Persia) and the Medes conquered Babylon and it became the Medo-Persian Empire. The Book of Ezra records all those of the 'house of Judah' who returned to Jerusalem. This was according to God's Promise that He would give to David and Jerusalem 'one tribe', being Judah, but also includes Benjamin and Levi, and the few who left Jeroboam's false 'golden calf' worship in northern Israel. Recorded there in Ezra are the names of all the families of the 'house of Judah' who returned and, the names of the families who returned with them who were not Israelites at all. The number that returned from the 'house of Judah' is a mere aprox. 42,000. The majority of those people returning were Gentiles of the Canaanites and various nations.

Ezra 1:1-5
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all His People? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

     Note particularly the last verse. These are those who returned from the Babylonian captivity that were commissioned to rebuild God's House (Temple) after the King of Babylon had destroyed It. Nothing is here said of the other Tribes of Israel, specifically the Lost Ten Tribes of the 'house of Israel'. And you will not find where that majority of the Ten Tribes returned to the land of Israel anywhere in God's Word. The two 'houses' are still to this day apart, and will not be joined back together until Shiloh (Christ) returns (Gen.49: 10). You will find some of the 'house of Judah' with children's names such as 'Manasseh', and even the 'gate of Ephraim', but you won't find written that the northern ten tribes returned with Judah. In my opinion, that's how many err saying that all twelve tribes returned to the land of Israel and are all there today. The 'army of Samaria' is mentioned in Nehemiah 4, another Book detailing the events in Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, but those Samaritans were the ones brought into the northern lands from the nations after the 'house of Israel' were carried captive by the King of Assyria (see II Kings 17:23-24).
     Ezra 1:8-11 gives the items such as the Temple vessels, etc., which the 'house of Judah' brought back to Jerusalem with them from the Babylon captivity. The 'Ark of The Covenant' is not mentioned there. The Ark of The Covenant is no more given as to Its location again in The Word, until Revelation 11:19, where It is in heaven. So more than likely, all the searches for it in past history and today are in vain.
     This verse 5 of Ezra 1 tells us which tribes of Israel returned to Jerusalem, that is: Judah, Benjamin, and Levite. So why are 'the priests' separately named here as a group? Besides Ezra and Nehemiah being important records of which tribes returned, a major Message from our Father in these two Books are how His People broke His Commandments concerning taking wives of the Canaanites and various nations. The Levites and Temple service peoples were especially to be of bloodline purity but were not. Because of these acts of allowing those of the Canaanites to creep into God's House, it made possible the false priest system, which was instrumental in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Ezra 2:61-64
61   And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:
62   These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

     Here's who this group of 'priests' were as written back in Ezra 1:5. They were of the nations that had mixed in with Judah's Holy Stay in Jerusalem, for they returned from Babylon with the 'house of Judah'. Ezra 9 confronts this situation, as Ezra tries to do something about it when he is finally told of the mixing with the nations. The People promised to put away their foreign wives and children, but between both Books of the captivity return, Ezra and Nehemiah, it wasn't fully carried out and the nations have mixed with the 'house of Judah' to this day. This is the greatest Lesson from God in those two Books.
     It's important to realise that God commanded especially Judah to remain bloodline pure, because that lineage was to be the bloodline of Christ Jesus. The Levites and sons of Aaron were in care of God's House of worship and they were to be Holy and pure in His Presence, so this is not to put down the Gentile as being base, for God loves all of His children (see Exod.28). The 'house of Judah' and the 'house of Israel' have a special Mission upon this earth, and that's why God chose them above all other peoples. Never allow someone to call you a racist with this teaching, for they lack true understanding in our Father's Word or purposefully attempt to divide God's Plan and destroy it. They will not succeed in it and will only hurt themselves, much as Jesus told Saul about 'kicking against the pricks' (Acts 9). Also be careful how you present this Truth dealing with these Nethinims (priests of the nations and temple servants) returning with our brother Judah after the Babylon captivity. It's also important to understand that these nations are not bad people; only that these acts allowing a particular race of people, the Kenites, or sons of Cain, to creep into God's House along with these non-Israelites.

Ezra 2:63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

     This documents the number of those returning, as the full names of each family are given in Ezra. The second stage of the return to Jerusalem by the 'house of Judah', and the rebuilding of the wall of the Temple is covered in the Book of Nehemiah.

     Next time, we'll cover a bit more of the return from Babylon of the 'house of Judah', reading a little about what the Jewish historian Josephus had to say about the return.

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey

The House of Israel Scattered: Hosea's Prophecy.

     We learned from the last study on the Ten Lost Tribes, how the 'house of Judah' also followed after the false worship of her sister, the 'house of Israel', and God removed Judah also from among His Presence in Jerusalem, the place where He chose to put His Name (I Kings 11:36). That the 'house of Israel' returned from Assyrian captivity in the land of Halah and Habor by the river Gozan, is not written in God's Word (II Kings 15-17). And even since those other names of the ten tribes are not associated with being in Jerusalem thereafter, except during the final return of Shiloh (Christ), then who are we to believe God or man? (See Rev.7; Jer.23).
     Let's cover one more source for those who returned from Babylon back to Jerusalem, to cement the knowledge of just which tribes came back to the land which God gave them. We ask a Word of Wisdom from our Father in Christ Yeshua's Name, Amen.
     Herein is a reading from the works of Josephus contained in his The Antiquities of The Jews, quoting Nehemiah's words given to the Jews who would finish the building of The Temple and wall around Jerusalem after the captivity from Babylon:

    "You know, O Jews, that God hath kept our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in mind continually; and for the sake of their righteousness hath not left off the care of you.  Indeed, he hath assisted me in gaining this authority of the king to raise up our wall, and finish what is wanting of the temple. (170) I desire you, therefore, who well know the will our neighbouring nations bear to us, and that when once they are made sensible that we are in earnest about building, they will come upon us and contrive many ways of obstructing our works,  (171) that you will, in the first place, put your trust in God, as in him that will assist us against their hatred, and to intermit building neither night nor day, but to use all diligence, and to hasten on the work, now we have this especial opportunity for it."  (172) When he had said this, he gave order that the rulers should measure the wall, and part the work of it among the people, according to their villages and cities, as everyone's ability should require. And when he had added this promise, that he himself, with his servants, would assist them, he dissolved the assembly.   (173)  So the Jews prepared for the work:  that is the name they are called by from the day that they came up from Babylon, which is taken from the tribe of Judah, which came first to these places, and thence both they and the country gained that appellation. (Emphasis added) ¹

     The last section (173) is where I wish to draw your attention. The historian Josephus, himself a Jew, living around A.D. 37-c.100, recognized that the word 'Jew' is derived from the tribe 'Judah', and that those living in and around the area of Jerusalem, in the province of 'Judea', were and are referred to as 'Jews'. The various tribes of the 'house of Israel’, which were taken captivity to Assyria around 140 years before this event, are not recorded in this return to Jerusalem in The Word of God, nor by Josephus in his Antiquities. And we know from Ezra 1 that those from the three Israelite tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levite, along with 'the priests', made up the 'Jews' who returned from the Babylon captivity. This means that after that captivity and return, the people living in Jerusalem or around it, i.e. the country of 'Judea', whether they were of Israelite blood or not, they are all called 'Jews' from thereon (that is, those who 'took' the name 'Jew' and who were not Israelites - see Esther 8:17). Since the joining of all twelve tribes of Israel has not happened even to today, these three tribes and inhabitants of Jerusalem are known as 'Jews', even till now. Again, those who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylon captivity are specifically named in the Book of Ezra. But the Ten Tribes, or 'house of Israel' are not mentioned, for their captivity was to Assyria and not Babylon. Those were two separate geographic locations.

The House of Israel Scattered.

      There's a very important analogy to understand about the 'house of Israel' and the 'house of Judah’, which God made through His prophets Ezekiel and Hosea.  In Ezekiel 23, God gives the analogy of two sisters, Aholah and Aholibah, who committed whoredoms, which is all symbology for His People turning to idols in false worship. God doesn't leave us hanging on whom they represent, for He tells us in verse 4:

Ezek 23:4   And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were Mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.

      You should know who this 'Samaria' is by now. It represents the 'house of Israel', i.e. the ten tribes. And 'Jerusalem' is the 'house of Judah'. The Message there in Ezek.23 our Father is giving us is about how both 'houses' rebel against Him by worshipping anything and everything, except Him. All this is given in the sense of 'spiritual adultery'. So 'Judah' is Aholibah, and the 'ten tribes of Israel' is Aholah.
     Yehovah gave us more analogies in His Word about harlotry by the two 'houses', just like this one. In the Book of Hosea, our Father told His prophet to go marry a prostitute for wife.  And God named each one of Hosea's children, for a symbol, and Message to His People, just like Aholah and Aholibah. "Well this is all Old Testament, and in Hosea's time so it doesn't apply for us today." Wrong!  If you understand that not all twelve tribes have been gathered back to the land of Israel, and Christ (Shiloh) hasn't returned yet, then yep!  This analogy God is giving us is still in effect today! If you haven't yet understood this Truth from these studies on The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, that the 'house of Israel' is still scattered, then you've wasted your time here. I'm not trying to be harsh, because there are those who actually believe and say that these two sister prostitutes of Ezek.23 were 'imaginary women', and they drop it at that! "That's all ya' get, there's no more lesson from it to be found," they might say. If you've never been taught this Message of the two 'sisters' from our Father, dealing with how His People have played the 'spiritual harlot', then stick around.  I'm going to pull several of them together right here and now. In order to understand the split of the two 'Houses', and where the Ten Tribes went, this analogy from our Father must be grasped.
     Continuing with Hosea taking a prostitute for wife, by God's command in Hosea 1:2, and He names the first son of Hosea 'Jezreel', which is 'Yizre'El' in the Hebrew meaning 'God will sow' (Strong's no.3157). That Hebrew word 'Yizre'El' sounds a lot like 'Israel' doesn't it?  It should, because it's used for the 'house of Israel' here.  God's referring specifically to the 'valley of Jezreel' and Joseph's seed (see Josh.17: 16; Judges 6:33).  This all points to how God would take the northern Kingdom of Israel out of the land for their abominations with the like of old nations in the 'valley of Jezreel'. And the next child of Hosea:

Hosea 1:6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, "Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

'Lorhuamah' is 'Lo'Ruchamah' in the Hebrew meaning 'not pitied' (Strong's no.3819).

Hosea 1:7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen."

     God is consoling the 'house of Judah' here, so this analogy of 'Loruhamah' is to the 'house of Israel', the ten tribes who went into captivity to Assyria, and not Judah. This is also a marker that the house of Judah would never become 'lost', always being known as God's People, and so it is to this day.
    If our Father is not going to save the house of Judah 'by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen', then how is Judah and Jerusalem saved? They will be saved by Christ's second coming, as God is going to fight this last battle, a spiritual battle, through His Son. The result will usher in Christ's thousand-year reign on earth, the next age of dispensation in God's Plan (Zech.14; Rev.20).
The next child of Hosea and his harlot wife is then given:

Hosea 1:9 Then said God, "Call his name Loammi: for ye are not My People, and I will not be your God.

      That's exactly what that word 'Lo-ammi' means: 'not My People'.  Why would our Father say that to His People of the 'house of Israel' or ten tribes under Ephraim? Because they followed the abominations of false worship as first setup by Jeroboam; and the two 'golden calves' in the Northern Kingdom. Do you want to know where the idea of 'Lost', as in the Lost Ten Tribes comes from? Well, this is it! 

Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place 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.'

     This next verse reveals much. God is saying that even though the 'house of Israel' is no longer His People, yet they will still become a multitude in the earth, and so vast that they 'cannot be measured nor numbered'. Do you remember back in Gen.48 when Israel blessed Ephraim and said that his seed would become a 'multitude of nations'? That Birthright Blessing, originally part of God's Covenant to Abraham, went to the 'sons of Joseph', and that's not the 'house of Judah' or Jews. Judah was to keep the Sceptre Royal Rule as written in Gen.49: 10; Hosea 11:12; Psalms 60:7. This verse says more still!  
     The underlined passage is saying that when the 'house of Israel' travels to their first 'place', i.e. Assyria, they will be told that they are 'Lo-ammi', or 'not My People'. This happened historically, as the ten tribes, or 'house of Israel' took many different names as a people, which we'll cover eventually, and they migrated north and west, coming to the 'isles', and settling in the lands we call Europe, and even to America.  That's 'the place' where they have all been known as 'Lo-ammi', or 'Ye are not My People'. And this is exactly what they have been told in the past, and still are yet today by false ones, and those who remain ignorant of The Word. But it's now time to change all of that. 
     As some of the verses in God's Word have long lengths of time or years separating the phrases, the last prophetic part of this verse: 'there it shall be said unto them, "Ye are the sons of the living God", is that time which began the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Messiah and Saviour.  That Messiah Jesus Christ has already come as Saviour has been in effect for quite some time now, but His People still seem to be hard of hearing. The migrations of His People, the 'house of Israel' or Lo-ammi, from Assyria have produced the European nations with Kings and Queens.  And all this time, even up to now, Judah has kept their heritage and name as being a part of Israel, i.e. the 'house of Judah', or Jews. No matter what land Judah has gone to, they have always kept their 'house' as a separate People unto Yehovah, and thus have never been 'lost'.

Hosea 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel 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.

     This next verse in Hosea 11 is talking about when Christ returns on the Second Advent to claim His Bride, and the gathering of both 'Houses' of Israel are brought back to the land which Yehovah gave them for to inhabit, forever. That's why this Message of The Lost Ten Tribes keeps coming up, for our Father wants The Word out.  He's saying to the 'house of Joseph', "Ye are the sons of the living God." Return! This is good news for the Gentile also, for as they become 'sons of God' by believing on Jesus Christ as Savior, The 'One Head', they also become adopted sons of Israel, the election of grace (see Romans 8-9). Let's continue with this analogy of the 'house of Israel' playing the harlot into Hosea Chapter 2:

Hosea 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
2    Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not My wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

Hosea 2:4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5    For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, 'I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.'

     The word 'Ammi' meaning 'My People' is opposite in meaning of 'Lo-ammi', so this is God talking to Judah who was still in grace with our Father at the time. The word 'sisters' is 'achowth' in Hebrew meaning 'a sister', and thus applies to Judah's sister the 'house of Israel' (Strong's no.269). The word 'Ruhamah' is also the opposite of the first child of Hosea which God named 'Lo-ruhamah' and applies also to the 'house of Israel'. In the second verse 'mother' represents the National Name for both 'houses', that is to say, all of Israel, the new name which God gave to Jacob for His Covenant purpose. Remember that Jacob was the father of all twelve tribes?  The word 'Plead' is better translated as 'to contend with, wrangle, hold a controversy' from the Hebrew (Strong's no.7378). God is saying to Judah, "Go tell the Kingdom of Israel, your brethren of the 'house of Israel' that she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband any longer."
     These 'whoredoms' are symbolic for serving and worshipping the false gods of Baalism, for Baal or 'bel' is the source of the 'other choice'.  Notice I said 'other choice'.  Anyone not worshipping The One True God Yehovah, The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, through His Savior Messiah Jesus Christ, then 'bel' is their default. And this is whether they know it or not. Bel is also the father of 'atheism', and all worship of anything other than Yehovah, so even those who think they aren't worshipping anything, and those who would even make joke at worshipping Satan, do so by default. They may not know it now, but they will come to know it, and many in shame when they see the Goodness they have denied for themselves.

Hosea 2:6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

      Very important verse, for God is saying He will make the 'house of Israel' 'not find her paths'. And historically the 'way' was 'hedged up' for the Ten Tribes, as they worked and strove their way to the lands where they are today. And she (house of Israel) has 'lost' her paths, for she has forgotten her roots and heritage. Not everyone has forgotten today, but most have. This refers back to the idea that God began with in Hosea, that the 'house of Israel' at the time of the casting out of His sight to Assyria are, 'Lo-ammi', 'not My People'.

Hosea 2:7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.'
8    For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

      These 'lovers' are all part of the harlot analogy God is giving us. They are the false gods of Baal. When the lost ten tribes sought after these false gods of Baal, they of course denied our True Father Yehovah and forgot where the Blessings were coming from.  All they could remember was that their first state seemed better than the latter state of false worship, but they didn't know how to 'return'. The 'paths' to returning to our Father, and to the land He gave them, was now blocked, cut off!

Hosea 2:10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of Mine hand.
11. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

     The 'paths' are cut off, there's no return to the land of Israel; the 'house of Israel' truly became 'lost' as they mixed with the people of Assyria going after their ways and accepting new 'names', and yet choosing Baal. To complete the 'darkness' of this time, of the 'house of Israel' loosing their heritage and root as the ten tribes, God took away their remembrance of many of His declared 'Feasts' and Judgements which Judah still maintains today. Instead the 'house of Israel' took on new 'feasts' and new ritual dogmas to supplant their original knowledge of God's Commandments. That's what 'mixing' with other nations and belief systems will do to a Pure worship of Yehovah. Remember how Solomon fell with false worship, allowing his many wives of the nations to bring false gods into The Temple in Jerusalem? Aren't we seeing the same thing happen today among this other 'branch' of God's People, the Western Christian Nations? That's why the kingdom being prepared today, the last false kingdom upon this earth, is again called Babylon which was the original seat of 'Baal'.

Hosea 2:12 And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, 'These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat Me, saith the LORD.

      Before Christ Messiah came for the first Advent, offering all The Way to Salvation, this was the state of the 'house of Israel' in the new lands which they migrated to.  This is why 'Baal' was the base of the pagan systems by the Druids of ancient Britain, of ancient Rome, Greece, etc. It doesn't matter with all the fancy names given to the various 'gods' of pagandom by each nation, for each people of a different language had their own name and type of 'Baalism'; it's all the same 'base' of false worship. And it all reverts back to one source, Satan who is the author of confusion. Hence, the words Babylon, babel, bel, Baal...all mean confusion.

Hosea 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

      This is when our Father began to turn the 'house of Israel' away from the land of their captivity in Assyria, beginning the migrations of the ten tribes over the Caucasus Mountains, through the Dariel Pass, becoming known as Caucasians, and to their now present land, in the 'islands of the sea'. The 'valley of Achor' is symbolic of the new inhabitants of the 'house of Israel' in their new lands. Many are taught to hate Christianity by the false ones, because of these migrations of the subduing of new lands to which God allured His People. But all in all, the various nations of the Gentiles have been better off for it, as our Father gave the 'unction' for conquering these mostly uninhabited lands. And His Blessings followed them even spreading to the Gentile. I have part Cherokee blood, and I can't be sore at this Plan, for I know it was and is our Father Yehovah's Plan. If God punished His own People for false worship of idols, does that give those conquered by the 'house of Israel' any avenue of complaint for doing the same idol worship? True history is shown to those who understand God's Plan and know that His Word is True, and always comes to pass as written.

Hosea 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call Me Ishi; and shalt call Me no more Baali.
17    For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
18   And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

      The 'house of Israel', i.e. the Ten Tribes settled in the 'isles' and lands of Europe, even to America, AND The Salvation by Christ Jesus was sent by our Father's Apostles, for that's the meaning of that word Apostle, i.e. 'sent ones'.  When this New 'Covenant' was given to us, which is where we get our word 'New Testament', then the various names of idols and false religions, the old 'lovers' of the 'house of Israel', Baali, was replaced with the Pure Righteous Waters of Life, meaning Yehovah's Saviour, Jesus Christ. And here we are with the state of affairs given by GOD to today's 'house of Israel', the Western Christian Nations. Yet, and for a moment, our Father is ready to cast us out again, for not following Him and His Word Jesus Christ, turning back to Baalism!

     I hope you see the difference today as compared with past generations within the 'house of Israel', as many of our young are being taught false doctrines, and to worship again the false pagan gods which caused Israel to backslide originally. Many may never have heard this Message of His People 'Lo-ammi', the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, or thought it was some dream that certain theologians came up with. I know some at hearing these studies for the first time will now be able to pull together many missing puzzles with their studies of western history. I've not gotten to the real historical aspects of this study yet, so I hope you bear with me.

It's important to understand God's Word and His prophecy first, then being a believer that His Word is true, it'll just be a matter of time for the historical discoveries to come forth. The difficult part of history is that the Kenites try to mask true history, hiding what really happened. But if you understand what God set forth, then false history becomes easier to expose. I'll begin some of that in the next study with the migrations of 'Lo-ammi' to the west and north, from Assyria.
     (For the deeper student of God's Word: This Message of 'Loammi' and 'Ammi' given by our Father in Hosea has two applications, or two separate timeline fulfillments. The first fulfillment, which I mostly covered in this study, involved the scattering of the 'house of Israel' to Assyria, their captivity there, and then their migrations to the isles and Europe, forming today's Western Christian Nations. The second fulfillment of Hosea hasn't happened yet. It applies to the future return of Jesus Christ as KING, and the gathering back of the 'house of Israel' to the land of Promise with Christ, to be joined into 'one stick' with the 'house of Judah' (Ezek.37). There it will be said to them at the beginning of God's Millennium reign upon earth, "Ye are the sons of the Living GOD" [Hosea 1:10]. So I hope you see that the Book of Hosea has two applications, in like manner as the role of the historical Assyrian in Isaiah does for the future role of Satan as Antichrist, and the historical Babylon as an example for the future Babylon one world 'beast' system given in Revelation 13 - 18.)

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.

The Ten Tribes Move Westward.

     The last Ten Tribes study revealed from God's Word in Hosea, our Father's intent to scatter the 'house of Israel', causing them to forget their heritage as part of God's People, taking on new names and customs and "...hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths." (Hosea 2:6). This 'wall' or hedged up way was to bring about the moving of the ten tribes to the lands our Father intended. It was done in similar manner that Rehoboam's heart was hardened towards the ten tribes after his father Solomon's death, to cause God's prophecy of the split of both 'houses' to come true (I Kings 12). The ten tribes had 'forgotten' their knowledge as God's People, similar to the forty years in the wilderness of being led by Jehovah out of Egypt through Moses until the time when they were to come to the promised land. Through generations this migration of the ten tribes came about. It didn't happen all at once. And it happened in stages, just as their captivity to Assyria was in stages (II Kings).
     My plan with this particular study is not to document totally this migration through historical means. I only propose to call attention to a previously missing archaeological link to the lost ten tribe's migrations. In this, others will have reference to some valuable information and resources for their further study on the ten tribes of Israel, i.e. the 'house of Israel'.
     And we ask our Father to give us a Word of Wisdom in this study, in Christ's Precious Name, Amen.

The Ten Tribes Scattered Further.

     Hosea the prophet revealed a summary of God's intent to scatter the ten tribes of Israel in all countries. Just to make sure that was no fairy tale from God's Word, and that we will know 'who' was to be scattered, let's cover a little from the Book of Ezekiel:

Ezek 1:3    The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

     Ezekiel the prophet was in captivity to Babylon at this verse. This Chebar of Ezek.1: 3 was in Babylon at his captivity home.

Ezek 3:4   And He said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them.
5    For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

     God sent Ezekiel to give a Message to both 'houses'. Here He is telling Ezekiel specifically to "...get thee unto the house of Israel". If you'll remember from the past studies, the 'house of Israel', i.e. the ten lost tribes, were taken captive by the Assyrian to Halah, Habor by the river Gozan, and to the cities of the Medes (II Kings 17 & 18). These areas of Assyria were to the north of Babylon (modern day Iraq) where the 'house of Judah' went captive later. The house of Judah's captivity to Babylon came 130 years after Israel's, so the ten tribes were captive in 'the land of the Chaldeans' first. They were just a little farther north than Judah.

Ezek 3:15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
16    And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
17  "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me."

     This 'Chebar' here in verse 15 is not the same place where Ezekiel lived in Babylon. This area is where God sent him to give prophesy to the 'house of Israel', as evidenced by these verses. That means to Assyria where the ten tribes were. This is very important, because many think Ezekiel was talking to his Jewish brethren in Babylon only, and not to the 'house of Israel' or ten tribes. This Chebar in Ezek.3:15 is modern Khabour, a tributary of the Euphrates, forty-five miles from Babylon.¹
     Ezekiel is then brought to those of the 'house of Israel', and is told by God to make a drawing on a tile of Jerusalem, showing what God would do to it. And this Message was all to the 'house of Israel' even though Judah is mentioned along with it (Ezek.4 - 6). Part of God's Message in Ezekiel to the 'house of Israel', or the ten tribes, reveals they were to be further scattered after their Assyrian captivity:

Ezek 6:8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.
9    And they that escape of you shall remember Me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
10   And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.
11    Thus saith the Lord GOD; "Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, 'Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

     We know the 'house of Israel' was still being held captive in Assyria during Ezekiel's time of Babylon captivity. Even those of the 'house of Judah' had not returned to Jerusalem at this point, and were still in Babylon. And yet, God through Ezekiel is telling the ten tribes that there would be a ‘remnant’, which will escape the sword of captivity, when they are scattered through the countries (Ezek.6:8). That means the 'house of Israel' or ten tribes were to be further 'scattered' from Assyria, not back to the Holy Land, but 'through the countries'.

E. Raymond Capt and Missing Links Discovered in Assyrian Tablets.

Biblical historian, archaeologist, and educator E. Raymond Capt has provided us a very important archaeological link for the lost ten tribes of Israel in his excellent work Missing Links Discovered in Assyrian Tablets. He has joined many 'links' together about the 'house of Israel' from hard work done by researchers, historians, and archaeologists of the past. In my opinion, the conclusions Capt arrives at from his research and of others, concerning the Behistun and Assyrian Tablet artifacts, is possibly the single most important work on the 'Ten Lost Tribes of Israel', from the scientific aspect. There is 'hard' evidence in stone, not just from The Bible standpoint. Our Father has ensured His People would find His Truth, even to our day and time.

The "Jehu Stele" or "Black Obelisk"

     Sir Austin Henry Layard of England, found a stele in Kurkh on the Tigris river in A.D. 1846, which depicts Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, in triumph over Syria and portions of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (II Kings 17 & 18). It shows one of Western Semitic dress bowing on all fours to Shalmaneser. The text inscription above the scene states:

The tribute of Jehu (Iaua) son of Khumri (Omri): I received from him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king, purukhti fruits.²

     This 'Jehu' was the son of Jehoshaphat and one of the anointed kings over the 'house of Israel' (1 Kings 19:16). The word 'Khumri' in the "Jehu Stele" is the Assyria name for Omri. Thus the Assyrians called the kings of the 'house of Israel' at that time 'son of Omri'. This 'Omri' was a captain of Northern Kingdom Israel (ten tribes), which the people appointed their king (1 Kings 16:16).
Therefore, the word Khumri, which refers to Omri king of northern Israel, is the first name used by Assyria for the ten tribes, or 'house of Israel'. More evidence coming up...

The Assyrian Tablets

     English archaeologist Sir Austin Henry Layard also discovered, later at Kiyunjik in 1847, stores of clay tablets with Assyrian cuneiform writing along with Sennacherib's palace, and the ancient capital city of Nineveh. An Assyrian text translated from 1,471 of these 23,000 clay tablets discovered by Sir Austin Henry Layard, was published by R.F. Harper, and an English translation made available in 1930 by Leroy Waterman at the University of Michigan. These tablets cover a period of Assyrian history at the time of the captivity to Assyria of the 'house of Israel', i.e. ten tribes.
     The Assyrian name of Khumri for the 'sons of Omri' taken from the Jehu Stele mentioned above, was a pre-captivity name for the Israelites. These Assyrian Tablets further link the later Assyrian names for the 'house of Israel'. According to translations from these Assyrian Tablets, Khumri became changed to 'Gamir' and 'Gamera', during the house of Israel's captivity in Assyria. The Assyrian name "ga-me-ra-a-a" is translated to 'Cimmerian' by Prof. Leroy Waterman in Royal Correspondence of the Assyrian Empire, published by the University of Michigan in 1930.⁴ Thus, the word Cimmerian became one of the identifiers for those of the 'house of Israel'.

     The Assyrian tablet gives proof for this Cimmerian marker in "Letter 112 - Arad-Sin to the Overseer of the Palace", by connecting the Cimmerians with those of Gamir and Gamera. These Assyrian Tablets have provided a strong archaeological missing link to the 'ten tribes of Israel’, which have been searched for many years. As several ancient histories, such as by Herodotus, Strabo, etc., mention the Cimmerians, their origins have been hard to determine without any archaeological foundation. The discovery of the Assyrian Tablets and their translation bridges the missing link in the gap.
     The Greek geographer Strabo states this about the Cimmerians:

Those Cimmerians whom they also call Trerans, or some tribe of the Cimmerians, often overran the countries on the right of the Pontu (south of the Black Sea) and those adjacent to them, at one time have invaded Paphlagnia, and at another time Phrygia even, at which time Midas drank bull's blood, they say, and thus went down to his doom. ⁶

Strabo also goes further about where these Cimmerians migrated:

Lygdamis (Tugdamme in Assyrian records) king of the Cimmerians, at the head of his own soldiers, marched as far as Lydia and Ionia, and captured Sardis (capital of Lydia) but lost his life in Cilicia.⁷

     Interestingly enough, these areas where Strabo said these Cimmerians migrated to, are all regions where Paul and the Apostles went to preach The Gospel of Christ. Paul himself was from Tarsus, in Cilicia (Acts 9:11; 22:3). And Christ told the Apostles in Matthew 10:5: "...Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of Samaritans enter ye not: 6:But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Paul's commission in Acts 9:15 was to preach Christ to the Gentile, kings, and children of Israel. With Christ's command to go to the lost sheep, these nation links and migrations of the Cimmerians should become apparent. The seven Churches of Revelation were also in these areas of Asia Minor where Strabo says the Cimmerians migrated to.
     This link Strabo and other ancient and modern histories cited by Capt in Missing Links Discovered in Assyrian Tablets, joins many peoples of seemingly separate tribal names into the majority of one peoples, which went north, and west, northwest and southwest, from Assyria.

     Another branch of the Israelites, which can be traced to the Scythians, are the 'Iskuza', mentioned also in the Assyrian Tablets. As the term 'house of Isaac' is used to refer to the 'house of Israel' in Amos 7:16, this word 'Iskuza' was a natural Assyrian corruption of 'Isaac'. This label further grew into the labels of 'Shuthae' by the Greeks and the word 'Sacae' by the Persians, which refer to the Scythians.⁸
By these two groups, one called Cimmerians, which migrated west to Asia Minor and Western Europe from Assyria first, and the second group of Scythians who later migrated west to take over many of the Cimmerians' lands, the ancestry of the peoples of Europe and Asia Minor can be traced to modern times. These would later form the Celts (Cimmerians), the Gauls, Normans, Norsk or Norse, Goths, and Germani peoples.

A migration to ancient Britain by the Angles and Saxons (Isaac's sons), would also form the several Welsh, English, Scots, and Irish peoples. These various peoples, of seemingly different ancestry, have mixed to make up the founding ancestral nations of today's Europe. And those peoples who formed Europe all have one major trait in common. Though they had different names, and languages, they made up the Caucasian race, which settled in Europe, having migrated from Assyria of Israelite origins. As can be discovered by Britain's history especially, the various conquests of Britain by supposedly different nations of heritage, such as the Anglo-Saxons from Germany, the Danish and Norse, and then lastly the Normans of France, it should have been made up of many different races. All these various peoples who invaded Britain were of one common stock, either descendents of the Cimmerians, or of the Scythians. And they all have a heritage as being part of the 'house of Israel'.

The Behistun Rock

On an old caravan road from Babylon to Ecbatana, the ancient capitol of Median, there is a carving on a mountain side made by Darius the Mede dated at 515 B.C. An English officer named Henry C. Rawlinson deciphered the cuneiform inscriptions on this carved mountain side, called the Behistun Rock. The inscriptions on the Behistun Rock were in three languages, Babylonian (Accadian), Elamite (Susian), and Persian.^9

Click map to enlarge.

	There are 20 panels of carvings. In the center is a depiction of King Darius with his foot over one captive chief, and 9 other captives all bound together.
Each captive chief is dressed differently, some with short tunics, others with long robes, and still others with the characteristic Hebrew cap.	Click image to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.	Each paragraph of each inscription panel begins with the following: "I am Darius, the king of kings, the king of Persia." And the 10th panel mentions "Sarocus", the Sacan, one in Hebrew attire.^10

     The word Armenia is mentioned also, as this was the area where these captives were taken and placed by the Assyrians. The word Sakkas is named in these inscriptions also. In the Elamite and Persian language inscriptions, the word Sakka is used to name some of these 'chieftans' in captivity to Assyria, but in the Babylonian inscription version, the word employed is Gimiri (verified for the British Museum by L.W. King and R.C. Thomson - Sculptures and Inscriptions of Behistun, pg.161).¹¹ That word Gimiri links back to what the Assyrians called the sons of Omri of the 'house of Israel', that is Khumri, and Cimri, or Cimmerian.

The Greek historian Herodotus gives an account of the Scyths (Sythians) in pursuit of the Cimmerians following a small passage known as the Dariel Pass, through the Caucasus Mountains northeast of the Black Sea.

Click to enlarge.

Herodotus states:

Scythia still retains traces of the Cimmerians; there are Cimmerian castles, and a Cimmerian ferry, also a tract called Cimmeria, and a Cimmerian Bosphorus. It appears likewise that the Cimmerians, when they fled into Asia (Asia Minor) to escape the Scyths, made a settlement in the peninsula where the Greek city of Sinope was afterwards built. The Scyths, it is plain, pursued them, and missing their road, poured into Media. For the Cimmerians kept the line, which led along the seashore, but the Scyths in their pursuit, held the Caucasus upon their right, thus proceeding inland, and falling upon Media. This account is one, which is common both to Greeks and barbarians.

     The name of Caucasian was derived from those peoples who once held and migrated through the Caucasus Mountains, east of the Black Sea. These would then further migrate west to the isles in Europe. II Esdras 13 in the Apocrypha is possibly another reference to this Passage in the Caucasus by the Cimmerians and Scythians.
     The Scythian migrations also went further east, to the Orient. These 'Sok-wang', meaning 'Sakka princes', fled to a valley of the upper Indus with Kashmir and Afghanistan as borders.¹³

     Many historians, both ancient and modern, have written of the historic traces of the Sacae, the Scythians, and the Cimmerians. The evidence for their later migrations to Europe is plentiful. The only 'link' missing was that of the lost ten tribe's captivity while in Assyria, and just how their identity as Israel was lost. Truly as our Heavenly Father said through Hosea:

Hosea 2:13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat Me, saith the LORD.

     He would hedge up their paths so they could not be found, and visit upon them the full Baalim of pagan idolatry, which caused their falling away. And the very Baalism, which the ‘house of Israel’ coveted, became the system, which gave them new names (khumri), losing their original heritage as God's People 'Ammi'. They became 'Lo-Ammi', not God's People.

Hosea 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15    And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

     Then when it was time, they would be lured through the 'wilderness' and scattered through the countries, until... they came to new lands, and new vineyards, and Israel began to remember GOD through His Son Jesus Christ.

Hosea 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call Me Ishi; and shalt call Me no more Baali.
17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

     And when they finally migrated to their new lands, and Christ our New Covenant was offered, GOD took away their 'names of Baalim' out of their mouths, which Assyria gave them, becoming again 'Ammi', God's People.
     Yet, paganism and worship of false gods, which are no gods, is still with His People of the 'house of Israel'. Once again God's People of the 'house of Israel' are becoming lost and again 'Lo-Ammi' (not My People). And another cycle of the same false Babylon World Order system is taking God's People into another captivity. This time that bondage is not of geographical paths to Babylon and Assyria, but enslavement of our hearts and minds away from GOD and Christ, a spiritual captivity. Only through deception can one go into captivity again today.

Understanding The Knowledge of Christ is the only Way to prevent that slavery of deception upon us today. Our founding fathers of the Western Christian Nations suffered that captivity and battled for our freedoms we have been so accustomed to. Let us not go into bondage again, for we are 'Ammi', His People, and GOD’s People. And 'Ammi' includes all believers on Christ Jesus, a spiritual and a physical Israel.

Blessings to you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.

The Royal Sceptre: Throne of David

Many Christians today, who have not been properly taught all of God's Word, are not familiar with the True meaning of the Kingline of David as given in Scripture. We all know the Biblical story of how David slew the giant Goliath, and how he was anointed King over Israel. And supposedly that king line of Judah ended with Zedekiah during Jeremiah's day.

But God's Message for That Kingline does not stop there by any means. No, that Message continues even down to our time today, and yet future, as Christ Jesus is Who That Throne is reserved for, forever and ever. Jesus Christ our Lord will be known as 'KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.'

Many have read that Title of Christ from Revelation 19:16, but have not understood its full meaning for us today. This is a beautiful Message from our Father's Word, and it lets us know that our Salvation in Christ Jesus actually has 'substance' and real value, which we can relate to, even while this flesh time still exists. It shows that God's Promises from His Holy Word are True and everlasting. Let's discover more about that Eternal Throne, as we ask a Word of Wisdom from our Father, in Christ Jesus' Name, Amen.
     On the topic outline page of these Lost Tribe Studies, you will find a reference to Genesis 49:10. It is one of many verses given to us in God's Word about The Everlasting Throne of Christ:

Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

     Genesis 49:10 is very specific that the Sceptre Rule would never depart from the tribe of Judah, nor would God's Law ever depart from Judah's responsibility of protecting It. Then we are given this big word 'until', as a condition, and that it would all change, at Shiloh's coming. That word 'Shiloh' is another figurative Title for Jesus Christ, and the geographical location of Shiloh was where the first Tabernacle worship was setup in the Holy Land in Israel (Joshua 18:1). Then we are also told in this verse "...unto Him shall the gathering of the people be." Just who might "the people" be in that verse? (Those of Rev.7). That 'gathering' is specifically what Paul was speaking of in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and 1 Thess.4:17 (also see Matt.24:31; 25:32; Mark 13:27; Eph.1:10; Ps.50; Luke 19:11). God's Heavenly Cube of Rev.21: 16 will be established on earth, at Zion; not in the polluted state this earth is in now, but on a renewed earth (Rev.21: 1; 2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22). And all those in Christ will be 'gathered' to our Lord Jesus Christ there, to Zion, The New Jerusalem, on a rebuilt earth (see Zech.14).

The Throne of David

     God established that Throne of Sceptre Royal Rule on earth, as an everlasting Covenant, the Promise being first given to Abraham (as 'Abram'; Gen.17). That Covenant originally included the Birthright Blessings of wealth and resources along with it, but eventually the Birthright 'double-portion' was given to the 'sons of Joseph' (1 Chronicles 5:1-2; Gen.48: 22). But the Royal Sceptre of Ruler was to go to Judah.
     GOD gave His Promise of establishing that Throne to David, through God's prophet Nathan:

2 Sam 7:8    Now therefore so shalt thou say unto My servant David, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, 'I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My People, over Israel:
9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My People Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,

     God is telling David that He is going to establish a place for His People Israel, and David, a descendent of Judah, is given to rule over them, meaning all twelve tribes.
     The final fulfillment of verse 10 is not yet... as "the children of wickedness" still 'afflict' God's Israel even today, and the great tribulation is yet future to us, when Satan will cause the greatest affliction upon God's Israel. So this prophetic event will be accomplished when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ reigns with His elect, over a returned People of Israel, to the land God first promised them (see Ezek.37; Zech.14).

2 Sam 7:11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over My People Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that He will make thee an house.
12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

     David wanted to build God a House, i.e. Temple, but David's son Solomon was to build It. Notice this last verse 13.  Did you catch what God said here with, "and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever"? Just how long is "for ever"? Does 'forever' mean only when Christ returns to claim that Throne, and then eternally forward? Are there 'any' cessations of that Throne allowed in 'forever'?  What I mean by this is, that since there is no one from the tribe of Judah sitting on the Throne over in the Holy Land today, as 'king', then it appears that this Promise from God has pauses in it. And thus the majority interpret this verse of 2 Samuel 7:13 to mean, that Throne begins with Christ's reign at His Second Advent. But we are going to discover there are no pauses, nor has there ever been a pause in God's establishing of that Throne of Royal Rule by one of Judah, "for ever". It is still setup on earth, even today! (Whoops! I 'let the cat out of the bag'!).

2 Sam 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be My son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
15 But My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.''"
17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

     Take a real good look at Verse 16. The phrase "and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee:" has a particular condition. "Before thee" means before David's presence, and in presence of his seed after him, on earth! No? Still don't believe it yet? Well, did David understand what God promised here in the same way, as a 'continuous' kingdom, everlasting, once it was first started long ago?

2 Sam 7:18   Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house that Thou hast brought me hitherto?
19    And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord GOD; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?

     That's exactly how David understood this also, as a kingdom which would 'never' fail to end, and would continue even past Zedekiah, the last king of the 'house of Judah' in the Holy Land. (Notice I said 'in the Holy Land'. That means it might still continue elsewhere outside of the land we call Israel today.) David well understood what our Father meant with 'for ever', because he even asked God how can this happen with man? David knew with all of man's flesh ways, that Throne could never exist for long on earth. But with God, it's a totally different story!
     Once God's Temple was finished, Solomon then thanked our Father, and remembered God's Promise to his father David, of establishing the throne of Israel everlasting:

I Kings 8:25   Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that Thou promisedst him, saying, 'There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel;" so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me.'

     Did you notice Solomon also understood God's Promise to David, as our Heavenly Father said that 'in My sight', there should never fail a man to sit on the throne of Israel? Just how long is that then?
     The Kingdom of Israel was divided after Solomon's days, with the ten tribes being taken away to Assyria, and never returned to the Holy Land as a people; all that we've covered in the past Lost Tribe studies. And even the 'house of Judah' went in captivity to Babylon about 130 years after the 'house of Israel', but a remnant of Judah did return to Jerusalem, to re-build a second Temple. The Roman general Titus destroyed that second Temple in 70 A.D., even while Judea (house of Judah) was held captive during the Roman Empire. So... the historians think the Nation of Israel just ended, and ceased as a Nation through all of that. What do you think? Moreover, what do you think our Heavenly Father thought about His Promise concerning that Throne? He just told us, right here in I Kings 8:25; He even gave us the clue of "in My sight", meaning the throne of Israel would never cease to exist, and that there would never "fail thee a man" to sit on that Throne, in God's Sight, not man's sight. So just because the majority of the world has failed to understand that It did continue, and even still exists today on earth, our Father knows better, for He gave that Promise of the earthly Throne of Israel to David and his seed forever. The 'evil one' thinks he's going to get that Throne, but he never will (2 Thess.2). The throne Satan and his workers will set up in Jerusalem in our near future, during the tribulation, will be a false throne.
     The 'present' of Isaiah 18:7 is where Christ's True Throne will be brought to Zion from. Do you remember the people 'beyond the rivers of Ethiopia'? (See Isaiah 18).

An Everlasting Kingdom

     Many have a difficult time grasping this, that the Throne of Israel has always been established, even upon earth; i.e. "as in heaven, so in earth" (Luke 11:2). And also, that Throne is the property of, and always has belonged, to God. That is the meaning of rule by Divine Decree when flesh kings and queens have sat on that Throne of Israel, because that Throne has always been our LORD's ownership, even as with all things:

Ps 89:-3-4

3 I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David My servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

`All generations' means even to TODAY's time. Remember back to Gen.49: 10 which stated that one from Judah would always have that sceptre Rule of Divine Kingship of the Throne of Israel, all the way to Christ Jesus' second coming? Our Lord Jesus Christ is very close to re-claiming His Everlasting Throne on earth.
     The word 'Selah' is 'Celah' in Hebrew, and means a 'suspension (of music), i.e., pause' (Strong's no. 5542). It means to stop and think, ponder on what was just said!

2 Chr 21:7 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

Ps 89:34-36.

34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.
35 Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me.

 God’s Word is sure, as He never goes back on His Covenant Promises; absolutely 'never'. His may see punishment when getting out of line, but His Promises are True and stable, just as He is still in control today. Man can't be that firmly established in himself; but our Father can.
This Message here in Ps.89 is about Christ Jesus, our KING Who will rule upon that everlasting Throne. But it also includes the seed of David 'until' Shiloh comes on the Second Advent of our Saviour.

I realize the great lengths I've gone to in trying to help others to understand the true meaning of this Throne everlasting, promised by God to David. Because of this Covenant Promise first given to Abraham all the way to David, the 'house of David' is still established upon the Throne of Israel, even today. Just because its earthly manifestation is a little abased right now, does not mean it is no more. The Kenites have tried to totally exterminate It upon earth, and they think they've even succeeded today. But wait... all will see when The True Christ Jesus Messiah comes to claim that Throne everlasting, as many will be amazed to discover which land It departs, in order to go to Zion, The New Jerusalem!

Jer 33:23-24.

23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
24 "Considerest thou not what this People have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off'? thus they have despised My People, that they should be no more a nation before them.

Jeremiah the prophet was in prison when God spoke this matter to him. The last king of Judah, i.e. Zedekiah, would be thrown down during Jeremiah's days, and Jeremiah being one of God's prophets, knew it was coming. Also, he and the people were quite worried about it.
These 'two families' mean the 'house of Judah', and the 'house of Israel’ (ten tribes). The 'house of Israel' was already gone captive out of the Holy land to Assyria during Jeremiah's day. And now, it appeared that it was the 'house of Judah's' turn to be made a waste.

Jer. 33:25-26.

25 Thus saith the LORD; 'If My covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.'"

This is God swearing by Himself. What He said here was something like "if I didn't set the sun and moon, and the laws of all things in motion and in perfect order, then My Covenant with the seed of David is meaningless." And further, "if you don't believe that I Jehovah created all things, and set them in motion, then you can believe I will break My Covenant with David's seed, to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob until Christ comes."

Our Father is basically telling Jeremiah not to worry about the coming destruction and captivity of Jerusalem, and the 'house of David'. It would be well established; even forever! Moreover, Jeremiah would soon have a hand in helping to maintain the establishing of the seed of David, but elsewhere, outside the Holy Land.
     Christ Jesus is The Son of David, and He is The Branch of David who will reign over Israel forever. So seeing David's lineage in trouble was a big matter.

That's where many teachers of God's Word have left off with the 'house of David'. The majority are taught that the Throne is gone on earth, and will not be established until Christ Jesus comes. It's true, the Throne of David belongs to our Lord and Saviour at His return, but don't forget that the Promise by God to David, also includes that Royal lineage of Judah, sitting upon that Throne of Israel, all the way up to Shiloh's return (Gen.49:10). Even though historically David's earthly Throne ceased to exist in Judea, with Zedekiah being the last king of Judah there, God's Word never says It totally ceased to exist on earth, meaning somewhere else on earth. Anyone who has ever read I and II Kings, surely they remember two kings in the Holy Land at the same time, one over the 'house of Judah' in Jerusalem, and one over the 'house of Israel' in Samaria (see I Kings 11).

     These previous examples from God's Word show the Throne of Israel still must be in effect today upon earth, otherwise what our Father promised David would not be True. One of the goals the children of iniquity have almost completely pulled off is that of brainwashing the majority of the 'house of Israel' and the 'house of Judah' into thinking that Throne ended on earth long ago with Zedekiah. The attack against that Throne throughout centuries of war, lies, and propaganda, has removed much of its true meaning and history from people's minds today. But never forget, as our Father YHVH did swear by Himself in

Jeremiah 33:25-26, if one from the 'house of David' ever failed to sit upon that Throne of Israel, then God didn't create the heavens and the earth. For those in Christ then, we know His Throne everlasting, is still here with us on earth, and our Lord Jesus Christ is coming to claim It.

 I'm well aware of Mark 16:19 where our Lord and Saviour ascended to Heaven to take His Place at the Right Hand of GOD. Heb.10: 12 gives a little more info, and it's about how Christ while now at our Father's Right Hand in Heaven, is "...henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool." Christ's full Kingdom Rule is still 'expecting', for He is not returned yet (see Rev.11: 15). Because many of my confused Christian brethren have been listening to false prophets, instead of our Father's Word.

They think Christ has already come into His Kingdom, and they await to be 'caught up' to Heaven, thinking The Kingdom Everlasting to be a 'cotton-candy' floating ether space beyond the stars.

Do you remember I said Christ's future Kingdom on a renewed earth has 'substance'? God's Word declares it! (See the study How Does Christ Return?) The next study will follow the 'overturns' God prophesied through Jeremiah, of His earthly Throne being removed from Jerusalem, and then becoming established elsewhere.

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.

The Royal Sceptre:
The Tearing Down, Building Up: Part I

     The previous Lost Tribe study revealed from God's Word our Heavenly Father's (Yahveh) Promise to His servant David, that one of his seed would always sit upon the throne of Israel, until The Saviour comes to claim it (2 Sam.7; Luke 1:31-33). Genesis 49:10 refers to our Saviour Yashu'a Jesus Christ by the name "Shiloh", which is from the Hebrew meaning 'tranquil, or place of rest' (BDB 7887). For those who believe on The Saviour Jesus Christ, He is our 'Rest' (Isa.11:10; Heb.4:10; Matt.11:27-30). The word Shiloh was also the name of an early Israelite city in the land of Ephraim, and was a temporary place where The Ark of The Covenant dwelt. The tabernacle worship was setup in Shiloh after the children of Israel left Egypt and crossed the Jordan river into the land of Canaan (Joshua 18:1;1 Sam.4:3). The Old Testament city of Shiloh being in Ephraim's land is thus linked to our Saviour's Title of "Shiloh" (Rest), and points to the nations, which were to bear fruit of The Gospel in Him. And that especially since Ephraim was to become "a multitude of nations" (Gen.48:14-22). So what am I talking about with all this?
     Because the "house of Judah" at Jerusalem also fell into false worship after the ten tribes were removed out of the northern land, The LORD would end the reign of the house of David in Jerusalem, bringing king Nebuchadnezzar and his host upon Judea to remove Judah to Babylon (Jer.18 forward). That last 'king of Judah' to reign in Jerusalem was Zedekiah. It's very important to note that Zedekiah was not the last king to rule in Jerusalem, but that he was the last king specifically of the seed of the house of David to rule there. And to this day, there still is not one of the 'house of David' sitting on a throne... in Jerusalem.
     So did our Heavenly Father keep His Promise He gave to His servant David, that one of his seed of the 'house of David' would always sit upon that throne of Israel, "...until Shiloh come"? (see The Royal Sceptre: Throne of David). Our Heavenly Father did not break His Promise to David, for He did bring that throne in Jerusalem down by the king of Babylon, and then began to plant and build up that throne of Israel elsewhere on earth. If we especially stay within God's Word on this subject, then we will be prepared to recognise where God reestablished that throne of the house of David.
     There exists many different research sources on the subject of discovering what happened to the ten tribes of the "house of Israel" after their captivity to Assyria. Some of them are designed to lead the believer away from what God says, disregarding His Word as The Historical Guide, while trying to rely strictly on pagan history. As with the previous Lost Tribe studies, God's Word will be the main historical Guide in this study.
     Let us continue, as we ask a Word of Wisdom from our Heavenly Father, in Christ Jesus' Precious Name, Amen.

Jeremiah's Commission:
To the "nations"

     God's prophet Jeremiah was called for a specific Mission in The LORD. Though Jeremiah was sent from The LORD to give a witness to the "house of Judah" of their coming seventy years Babylon captivity, there was still something more he was ordained to do:

Jer 1:3-5

3. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

     We know from the Old Testament Books of God's prophets that our Heavenly Father also sent Messages through His servants to non-Israelite nations. But wasn't this ordaining of Jeremiah to be "a prophet unto the nations" meant also for the house of Israel, specifically under Ephraim who was to become "a multitude of nations"?  In other words, was Jeremiah's God given Mission as a prophet unto the nations linked to Ephraim also?
     At the start of Jeremiah's commission God would use him to warn the house of Judah at Jerusalem that He was sending Judah captive to Babylon for seventy years:

Jer 25:1-3

1.The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the People of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
2.The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
3"From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened."

The leaders and people of the "house of Judah" at Jerusalem and Judea didn't only refuse God's Word through Jeremiah for them to turn from their evil ways, but they refused all of The Lord's prophets:

Jer 25:4 - 7

4. And the LORD hath sent unto you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
5. They said, 'Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
6. And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke Me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.'
7. Yet ye have not hearkened unto Me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt."

Because they would not even listen to our Heavenly Father so they might repent of their evil, God promised to bring the area of Jerusalem and the nations around it into a desolation, taking His people of the "house of Judah" captive to Babylon at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon (Jer.25:8 forward). But was this the only service God's prophet Jeremiah was ordained for, just to warn the "house of Judah" of God's punishment upon them? If those in rebellion wouldn't even listen to God's other prophets in warning, then how would sending Jeremiah to warn them make any difference? Didn't God already earlier give Israel a warning through Moses, that the land of Israel would become a desolation with the people being scattered through the nations for following the abominations of the pagans around them? (Deut.4: 23-29).
Jeremiah was indeed sent by The Father to give Judah at Jerusalem a warning of desolation, and also other nations around Judah (Jer.25:17 forward). But that wasn't all Jeremiah was ordained to do:

Jer 1:9 - 10

9. Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, "Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.
10. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."

     Jeremiah's warning to the "house of Judah" of the seventy years Babylon captivity was only one service he was chosen to perform. For Jeremiah was also ordained to be set "...over the nations and over the kingdoms...” but to do what? To "root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down...” That part of Jeremiah's Mission was God's declaration of destruction upon the kingline of Judah in Jerusalem, and would conclude when the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) would come up to Jerusalem, lay siege to it, cause its desolation, and take the house of Judah, the king of Judah, and the king's sons captive to Babylon.
     Jeremiah saw five kings of Judah from the house of David thrown down during his lifetime. Josiah was the first, having died in his chariot at Megiddo, and truly being the last king of Judah while the house of Judah was still free and independent. Then Josiah's son Jehoahaz would reign and be carried to Egypt where he died; then Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah would reign and rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and be carried away captive; then Jehoiakim's son (Jehoiachin) would reign and also be carried to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. And finally we come to Zedekiah, who reigned in Jerusalem eleven years under Nebuchadnezzar's authority, and then he also was carried captive to Babylon along with his sons, all royal heirs to the throne. That last king of Judah in Jerusalem would see his sons put to death in Babylon, and then have his own eyes put out and die in Babylon (2 Kings 25; 2 Kings 23 forward). When our Heavenly Father said He would "root out" the kingdom of Judah in Jerusalem for this flesh age, He intended it to be done well. And so it was and still is rooted out of Jerusalem (Jer.52:9 forward).
     But what's this Jeremiah 1:10 phrase "...to build, and to plant"? That building and planting is declared as part of Jeremiah's Mission also, and had to have begun during his lifetime. The object that was to be to rooted out, pulled down, destroyed, and thrown down, was the Sceptre of Royal Rule given to the house of David in Jerusalem (specifically of the "house of Judah"). But we must not forget what God promised to His servant David, that one of David's seed would always sit upon that throne of Israel, even until Shiloh (Christ Jesus) comes. Thus we are given in this same verse of that throne being rooted out, a Message that it was Jeremiah's chosen duty "...to build, and to plant"; meaning to build and plant that throne of Israel. This would logically mean that Jeremiah had to have escaped that Babylon captivity for it to be fulfilled per God's Word.
     So did Jeremiah escape the captivity of the king of Babylon to help God establish the re-planting of Israel's earthly throne? Let's continue to find out.

Jer 39: 9-10

9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the People that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the People that remained.
10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the People, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

     At this point, the king of Babylon and his host had burned and destroyed much of Jerusalem. The majority of the ‘house of Judah’ was carried away captive to Babylon, much like the king of Assyria did about 130 years earlier with the 'house of Israel' (ten tribes) in the northern land. Only a poor remnant of Judah would be left in Jerusalem, with God still keeping His Promise of 1 Kings 11:36 that His servant David would always have a "light" before Him to dwell in Jerusalem.

Jer 39:11-14

11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
12 "Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee."
13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes;
14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the People.

Isn't it amazing that even Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the hosts of Babylon, which came upon Jerusalem to destroy, was so concerned for Jeremiah's safety? Well, our Heavenly Father Yahveh is in control, and God even called Nebuchadnezzar "My servant", as in a 'rod of correction' sense upon His People (Jer.25: 9). Not only did the king of Babylon make certain Jeremiah was set free, but also Jeremiah was given money and food ("victuals" - Jeremiah 40:2-5). We shouldn't be surprised, for God did promise to take care of Jeremiah all through these events, for He did ordain him to be a "prophet unto the nations" (Jer.1:5).
     Jeremiah's heart was dreary because of giving God's Warning to His people while they mocked him, cast him in prison, and essentially tried to silence him out of fear that the people might be weakened in fighting against the king of Babylon. God's Message to the leaders of Judah was bad politics in their cause to defend Jerusalem.

Jer 15:15 O LORD, Thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in Thy longsuffering: know that for Thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

At this point Jeremiah had just a little bit of doubt in what God promised him. What did our LORD tell him?:

Jer 15:19 -21

21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, "If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before Me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
20    And I will make thee unto this People a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee,' saith the LORD.
21    And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible."

A Remnant Shall Escape.

Our LORD's Message to Jeremiah was to 'stand' in Him, for Jeremiah had something else to accomplish besides giving God's Message of desolation upon Jerusalem and the house of David there:

Jer 15:11 The LORD said, "Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

     God gave Jeremiah another Promise of comfort for his commission he was to accomplish. But who else did our Heavenly Father mean when He said this to Jeremiah, with "it shall be well with thy remnant"? Who else was with Jeremiah after the king of Babylon set him free? When Jeremiah was released from prison at Jerusalem, he was left to the charge of the governor Gedaliah, which was of a very small remnant that remained in Judea. Jeremiah dwelt with that remnant at Mizpah (Jer.40:2-6). Then a certain man named Ishmael would come to Mizpah where Jeremiah was, and slay the governor Gedaliah, also many of the Jews with him, and attempt to carry the residue of the people left in Mizpah to the land of the Ammorites:

Jer 41:10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the People that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the People that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.

     So this Ishmael started his own captivity scheme, beginning to carry all the people of Mizpah captive, which included Jeremiah and... "even the king's daughters"? Well which king's daughters are these? They were Zedekiah's daughters, the last king of the house of David that Nebuchadnezzar just hauled off to Babylon, remember? Recall king Josiah's son Jehoahaz who was mentioned earlier in this study. Jehoahaz, a previous king of Judah, was the son of Jeremiah's daughter Hamutal (2 Kings 23:31). That would make these "king's daughters" of Zedekiah part of Jeremiah's kinfolk. So it would make sense that these daughters of Zedekiah were put under Jeremiah's personal care.
     A man named Johanan then freed this remnant out of Ishmael's hand, and they all came to a place called Chimham near Bethlehem, to prepare to go into Egypt (Jer.41:17). At this point they asked Jeremiah to inquire of The LORD to discover what to do, which was definitely a good idea. It seemed common sense for them to go into Egypt to escape the hand of the king of Babylon who had just overthrown Jerusalem and Judea. Our LORD told that remnant to stay in the land of Judah, and they would be well taken care of, the king of Babylon even showing them mercy. But fleeing to Egypt would mean to perish (Jer.42:9). Johanan, who had charge over them, decided to go into Egypt anyway:

Jer 43:4-7.

4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the People, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.
5 But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;
6 Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

Now we are given a more detailed list of this group. Johanan took all the remnant of Judah, "the king's daughters", "Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch" the personal secretary of Jeremiah (Jer.36:4). Because Johanan and his captains decided to disobey God's warning that they were not to go into Egypt to escape, what did that mean for the "king's daughters" (daughters of king Zedekiah), Jeremiah, and his secretary Baruch who Johanan forced to go also? What did our Heavenly Father warn...

Jer 44:11-13

11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; 'Behold, I will set My face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:

     God did give plenty of warning against their going down to Egypt, because He was sending Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to punish Egypt next (Jer.43:10-13). That's why He told Johanan and the remnant not to go there. Can we just assume that Jeremiah, Baruch, and the 'king's daughters' all perished in the land of Egypt? That's what some would like us to think...along with the false idea that God broke His Promise to David that one of his seed would always sit upon the throne of Israel. But wait a minute. Was there a consolation to some of that remnant within God's warning that we might have missed? Yes, it's in the very next verse of Jeremiah 44:

Jer 44:14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.' "

     Notice the last phrase, "...for none shall return but such as shall escape." (Jer.44:14). Does that last phrase intend that no matter what, some among that company would escape captivity in one way or another? Yes, for God ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations, for also "to build, and to plant" (Jer.1:10).

The Legend of 'Ollam Fodhla'

     There are various legends within Ireland's ancient history, that Jeremiah the prophet came there with his scribe secretary Baruch, and at least one of the "king's daughters" of Zedekiah. Possibly the greatest archaeological evidence pointing to the legend, are the stones with ancient hieroglyphs (picture inscriptions) found in a sepulchral chamber near Oldcastle County, Meath, Ireland near the ancient hill of Tara (called 'Teamhair' in The Annals Of The Four Masters ¹). The hill of Tara is where the ancient kings of Ireland were coronated. One translation of the stones refers to a Lunar eclipse in the constellation Taurus joining with the planets Saturn and Jupiter in Virgo. By stellar calculation, this gave the date of Thursday, October 16, 583 B.C. The inscriptions form a type of symbol map, which tells a story of the travels of a ship on a journey. The first ship with five lines in it may symbolize passengers, Jeremiah, his scribe Baruch, two of the "king's daughters" (of Zedekiah), and the last passenger possibly Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian who helped deliver Jeremiah out of prison, and whom God promised to save from the king of Babylon (Jer.38:7 forward; Jer.39:16-18).²
     The name Ollam Fodhla is given in The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, stating that Eochaidl was the first Ollamh at Teamhair (Tara). The title of Ollam, or Ollav, refers to a learned doctor of wisdom, and Fodhla indicates a king.³ Yet the same Annals also refer to the title of Ollav much earlier in Ireland's history, when one Tighernmas established the wearing of different colours according to class and profession. A poet or Ollam was assigned six colours, with the highest of seven assigned to a King or Queen.⁴ The point with all this, is that Jeremiah could well have been an early Ollam in Ireland's history. MacManus makes remark of Ollam Fodla in his work The Story of The Irish Race,

"His title, Ollam Fodla, Doctor of Wisdom, has preserved his memory down the ages. The legends indicate that he was a true father to his people, and an able statesman. He organised (sic) the nation for efficiency-- divided it into cantreds, appointed a chief over every cantred, a brugaid (magistrate) over every territory, and a steward over every townland. Some traditions say that he established a School of Learning. And as crowning glory he established a School Feis of Tara, the great triennial Parliament of the chiefs, the nobles, and the scholars of the nation, which assembled on Tara Hill once every three years to settle the nation's affairs."⁵

     If some have noticed that I haven't offered many dates within this, it is because of some doubt of the preservation of proper dates in Ireland's history before the reign of the king of Ireland named Cimbaoth. His reign was contemporary with the time of Alexander The Great.⁶ Thus we are left with looking at major historical events within Ireland's ancient history. The historical link of Ireland's Hill of Tara (Teamhair) with one Tea Tephi is another major event.  E.Raymond Capt. quotes a source from the Chronicles of Eri by Milner which links Tara, and the Lia Fail Stone (i.e. Jacob's Pillar in my strong opinion):

In the "Chronicles of Eri", by Milner, we find Eochaidh, the husband of Tea Tephi, associated with the Stone Lia Fail. The account is titled, "The Story of Lia Fail", and states: "In the early days it was carried about by priests on the march in the wilderness (hence the much-worn rings still attached to it, one at each end). Later it was borne by the sea from East to West-'to the extremity of the world of the sun's going' (an expression used by the Romans to describe Britain). Its bearers had resolved, at starting, to 'move on the face of the waters, in search of their brethren.' Shipwrecked on the coast of Ireland, they yet came safe with Lia Fail...Eachaidh 'sent a car for Lia Fail, and he himself was placed thereon."  The story of the Stone was then repeated by his order, "And Erimionn (Heremon) was seated on Lia Fail, and the crown was placed upon his head, and the mantle upon his shoulders, and all clapped and shouted." And the name of that place, from that day forward, was called "Tara" (spelled "Tamhra" in the Irish language).⁷

     The important matter as stated before, are the events of this history, as Capt. rightly remarks: "There are many other variations of the story of the Stone being brought from Egypt to Ireland, which when added together present us with a rather confused story. This is understandable when it is realized that the Irish records are compilations at a late date of very early tribal histories. Each of these, written in a tongue difficult to translate, gives its own aspect of the one great story. However, they all agree in the following: The Stone, known as the 'Stone of Destiny', came from Spain, and before that, from Egypt. It came in the company of an aged guardian, who was called 'Ollam Folla (Hebrew words that mean 'revealer', or 'prophet'). Eochaidh (Eremhon) with his Queen Tea Tephi was crowned King of Ireland upon the Stone which remained at the Palace of Team-hair Breagh. It was the Coronation Stone of every 'Ard-Righ' (High King) of 'Eireann' for a period of about 1040 years; from King Eremhon (The Heremon) to the 131st Ard-Righ, named 'Murcheartach." ⁸

The subject of God preserving Jeremiah for his ordaining as "a prophet to the nations", and "to build, and to plant", and the Lia Fail Stone being brought to ancient Ireland, is linked with God's prophecy to Joseph for the latter days:

Gen 49:22-24

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel:)

     Joseph's seed would indeed be "a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well" (symbolic of great waters), and the "branches" of his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh would indeed "run over the wall", founding the nations of western Europe and Asia Minor joined along with the remainder of the ten tribes of the "house of Israel". And "from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel:" (Lia Fail Stone - Jacob's Pillar, also known as The Shepherd's Stone symbolizing The House of God per Genesis 28:10-22).
     Next, the Scarlet Thread of Tamar (Gen.38).

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey

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