THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY
We
want to impress, here, that Israel and Judah are not two names for the
same nation. They were, and still are, and shall be till the second coming
of Messiah, TWO SEPARATE NATIONS. The "house of Judah" ALWAYS
means "Jew." This distinction is vital, if we are to understand
prophecy. Because most so-called Bible students are in ignorance of this
basic distinction, they are unable rightly to understand prophecy! The
next place where the term "Jew" is mentioned in the Bible, the
House of Israel had been driven out in captivity, lost from view, and the
term applies ONLY to those of the House of JUDAH. There are NO exceptions
in the Bible! |
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Spiritual Gifts Revelation 1: Charismata Theory, Assessment, Problem-solving |
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Early
Writings of Herbert W. Armstrong
PART
TWO - Israel Not Jews
THE
HOUSE of ISRAEL
is
not Jewish! Those who constitute it are not JEWS, and never were! That
fact we shall now see conclusively, beyond refute. After David's death,
his son Solomon succeeded to the throne. Solomon taxed the people
excessively, reigning in a gorgeous splendor probably never equaled before
or since. And because he also married Gentile wives, sacrificed to their
idols, and committed other sins, Elohim said,
"I
will surely rend the Kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
Howbeit, I will give one tribe to thy son for David My servant's
sake," I Kings 11:11-13.
ISRAEL
Separates from David's Throne
Note
it! It is THE KINGDOM, not part of it, which is to be rent away. It is the
PART, one tribe, which is to remain. That tribe, Judah, must remain
subject to the throne -- why? "FOR DAVID'S SAKE"! David's
dynasty must not be broken. Elohim will not break His covenant! When Solomon
died, his son Rehoboam succeeded to David's throne. The people at once
demanded the heavy taxes be reduced. Their spokesman, Jeroboam (Solomon's
servant), pleaded with Rehoboam:
"Thy
father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous
service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter,
and we will serve thee," I Kings 12:1-5. "My father," came
Rehoboam's reply, "chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you
with scorpions," verses 6-14.
Israel
rebelled. The command to the people was: "To your tents, O
Israel"! The challenge to the royal family was: "Now see to
thine own house," verse 16.
"So
Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day. 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," I Kings 12:19-20. Then "Rehoboam assembled all the HOUSE
OF JUDAH, with the tribe of Benjamin," verse 21. Rehoboam started to
fight to subdue and bring back the House of Israel, but Elohim said, "Ye
shall not fight against your brethren the children of Israel for this
thing is from Me," verse 24. Israel divided into TWO NATIONS. Notice
it carefully! The House of Judah, now including the tribe of Benjamin,
under King Rehoboam of David's dynasty, was about to fight against the
other ten tribes, headed by Ephraim and Manasseh.
DIFFERENT
AND SEPARATE NATIONS
The
term "Jew" is merely a nickname for "Judah." It
applies to the one nation, or House of Judah ONLY -- never to the House of
ISRAEL. The first place in the entire Bible where the word "JEW"
is used is in II Kings 16:6. Notice it! Ahaz began to reign as king of
JUDAH, verse 1. He sat on David's throne, verse 2. At this time, a man
named Pekah was king of ISRAEL. With King Rezin of Syria as an ally, this
king of Israel came against Jerusalem in war, and besieged King Ahaz of
Judah, but could not overcome him, verse 5. "At that time Rezin king
of Syria" -- the ALLY of ISRAEL, fighting with ISRAEL against Judah
-- "recovered Elath to Syria, and drove THE JEWS from Elath,"
verse 6. NOTE IT! The first place in the Bible where the word
"JEW" is used, we find ISRAEL at war against THE JEWS! Israel's
ally, Syria, drove THE JEWS out of the town of Elath! Certainly this
proves that the JEWS are a different nation altogether than ISRAEL. It is
WRONG to call the Jews of today "Israel." They are not Israel --
they are JUDAH! And wherever ISRAEL is today, remember that ISRAEL does
not mean JEW! Whoever the lost ten tribes of ISRAEL are today, they are
not Jews!
Wherever
you see the name "Israel," or "House of Israel," or
"Samaria," or "Ephraim," used in prophecy, remember
this -- IT NEVER REFERS TO THE JEWS, but to Israel, who was at WAR against
the Jews! No place in the entire Bible does the term "ISRAEL"
refer to the JEWS. The term "Israel" alone, or "children of
Israel," may, and sometimes does, include the Jews, where all twelve
tribes are included. Jews are Israelites, just as Oregonians are
Americans. But MOST Israelites are not Jews, just as most Americans are
not Oregonians. The Jews are the House of Judah only, A PART of the
Israelites. But when these people are spoken of as NATIONS, rather than as
collective individuals, the term "Israel" never refers to the
Jews. "House of Israel" NEVER means "Jews."
The
two tribes at Jerusalem under the Davidic king are called, merely, the
House of JUDAH. But of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, the dying
Israel had said, "Let my name be named on them," Genesis 48:16.
And truly they now BEAR the name of ISRAEL. It is the TEN tribes that are
called "ISRAEL." From here on, the tribe of Judah, with Benjamin
and a portion of the priests of the tribe of Levi, are called
"JUDAH" -- not Israel. The TEN tribes, headed by Ephraim and
Manasseh, from this time on are called "ISRAEL." They are not
Jews and never were called Jews! From this time on, the children of
Israel, twelve tribes in all, are divided into TWO NATIONS! And now, for
the first time, the BIRTHRIGHT goes into one nation, ISRAEL, headed by
Ephraim-Manasseh, while the SCEPTER remains in another nation, called the
"House of JUDAH." The two phases of the promises to Abraham now
are separated into TWO ENTIRELY SEPARATE NATIONS!
For
many generations Israel and Judah remained as separate nations, in
adjoining territories, having their own separate kings. Why should
ministers and professed Bible students be in ignorance of this, when four
whole books of the Bible, I and II Kings and I and II Chronicles, are
devoted to explaining it and recording the history of these separate,
rival kingdoms? Look at the maps in the back of your Bible. There you will
see the territory of each nation plainly shown. Judah retained the city of
Jerusalem, its capital, and the territory known as Judea. Israel occupied
the territory north of Judea. Samaria became its capital city, and the
House of Israel often is called "Samaria" in prophecy. This,
too, is a vital "key" to understanding of prophecy.
"Samaria" never refers to the Jews in prophecy -- but always the
TEN tribes, the House of ISRAEL.
House
of Israel NOT Jews
We
want to impress, here, that Israel and Judah are not two names for the
same nation. They were, and still are, and shall be till the second coming
of Messiah, TWO SEPARATE NATIONS. The "house of Judah" ALWAYS
means "Jew." This distinction is vital, if we are to understand
prophecy. Because most so-called Bible students are in ignorance of this
basic distinction, they are unable rightly to understand prophecy! The
next place where the term "Jew" is mentioned in the Bible, the
House of Israel had been driven out in captivity, lost from view, and the
term applies ONLY to those of the House of JUDAH. There are NO exceptions
in the Bible!
ISRAEL
Driven Out and LOST!
Immediately
on becoming king over the House of Israel, Jeroboam (tribe of Ephraim) set
up two golden calves, introducing idol worship in the kingdom. The account
is found in I Kings 12:28-33. This idolatry, with Sabbath-breaking,
Ezekiel 20:10-24, was the great national sin which became such a curse to
Israel. Generation after generation, Elohim pleaded with the House of
Israel to turn from tradition -- from their fathers' ways -- and to
return to keeping Elohim's commandments. But, through seven different dynasties under
19 kings, Israel continued these national sins -- sins SO GREAT in Elohim'S
sight, that finally Elohim caused them to become a conquered, captive nation.
And in the year 721 B.C., the House of Israel finally were driven out of
their own land -- out of their homes and cities -- and carried captives to
Assyria, on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea!
"Therefore
Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight:
there was none left but the tribe of Judah only," II Kings 17:18.
In Leviticus 26 we find Elohim's solemn warning to all the children of Israel.
IF they would worship Him alone, avoiding idolatry, and keep His Sabbath,
walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, they would inherit the
national material promises to Abraham. They would become a great, rich,
and powerful -- the dominant nation of all earth. But, if they refused and
rebelled, they were to be punished SEVEN TIMES -- a duration of 2520 years
-- in slavery, servitude, and want. The House of Israel now entered -- 721
B.C. -- (remember this date) -- upon their 2520 long years of national
banishment, to last until A.D. 1800! And BECAUSE the house of Israel lost
their identifying SIGN -- the Sabbath -- the sign which identified them as
ISRAEL -- they utterly LOST THEIR IDENTITY! They lost knowledge even of
their national name. They came to be considered GENTILES!
In
Exodus 31:12-17 it is recorded that Elohim made the Sabbath the covenant SIGN
between Him and Israel. A sign identifies. At creation Elohim rested on,
blessed, made holy, and set apart for man the one day for man's rest and
worship which could keep him always in the true worship of the true Elohim --
the day that pointed back to CREATION. Creation is the PROOF of Elohim. It
identifies Him as the true Elohim. It was intended to keep man in the true
knowledge of the true Elohim. When Israel threw aside Elohim's Sabbath, Israel
soon threw aside Elohim Himself, and went into idolatry. The Sabbath
identified Israel as Elohim's own people because all other nations long since
had departed from its observance and gone into idolatry. Israel was the
only nation that kept it. Because they rejected this SIGN, they were
driven out, and lost their identity (read Ezekiel 20:10-24). Judah, too,
went into captivity largely because of Sabbath-rejecting (see Jeremiah
17).
But
those Jews who returned 70 years later under Ezra and Nehemiah had learned
their lesson. They became legalistically-strict Sabbatarians -- adding so
many of their own restrictions to it that Yahshua had to sweep aside this
maze of man-made rules, saying, "The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath," Mark 2:27. To this day orthodox Jews have
retained the original Sabbath. And BECAUSE those Jewish people who
descended from the Ezra-Nehemiah leadership have retained Elohim's covenant
identifying SIGN, the world today looks upon them as ISRAEL! And yet they
actually are only a part of JUDAH! Those of the captivity who did not
return under Ezra and Nehemiah lost their identity, too, though the world
does not realize it.
So
"Yahweh removed Israel out of His sight.” So was Israel carried
away out of their own land to Assyria," II Kings 17:23. They LEFT the
land of Samaria, never yet to return! Gentiles were placed in their homes
and cities, verse 24, and it is these Gentiles who were known as
Samaritans in the time of Messiah. A more detailed account of the
captivity of Israel is found in II Kings 18:9-12, and 17:5-18. Now the
House of Israel began to "abide many days without a king" (Hosea
3:4). Since THEY were the people who carried the title "Israel,"
it is THEY, not Judah, who must become LOST in identity! Now they must
lose their language, their religion, their land (Isaiah 8:17; 28:11;
40:27; 62:2; Jeremiah 16:13; Hosea 1:8-10; 2:5-6).
ISRAEL
Never Returned
They
[House of Israel] did NOT return to Palestine with the Jews in the days of
Ezra and Nehemiah, as some erroneously believe. Those who returned to
rebuild the temple and restore worship in Jerusalem at that time, 70 years
after JUDAH'S captivity, were only those of the House of Judah whom
Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon. Note well these facts:
1)
In 721 B.C., ISRAEL was "carried away out of their own land to
Assyria," II Kings 17:23. They were ALL removed -- completely.
"There was none left but the tribe of Judah only," II Kings
17:18. JUDAH, only, remained.
2)
More than 130 years later, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried the
Jews -- JUDAH -- who only remained in Palestine of the 12 tribes, away to
Babylon. So NONE of the House of Israel dwelt in Palestine at the time of
this captivity of Judah.
3)
Those who returned to Palestine to rebuild the temple and restore
worship 70 years after Judah's captivity were ALL of the House of Judah --
all JEWS -- ALL of those whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away. They
returned again "unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his
city," Ezra 2:1. ONLY those of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and
Levi, who constituted the House of JUDAH, returned at that time, Ezra 1:5.
Consequently those in Jerusalem in the time of Messiah were of these three
tribes, NOT of the House of ISRAEL. And most, if not all, of those
converted were of the tribe of Benjamin, as Paul said he was. The House of Israel became known as the LOST Ten Tribes! Now known by ANOTHER name, speaking a different language! By WHAT name are they known today? Whoever they are, wherever they are, it is THEY, and not the Jews, who are the BIRTHRIGHT possessors. It is THEY, not the Jews, who, after the ending of their punishment in 1800 A.D., must inherit the UNbreakable promises to Abraham of national greatness, resources, wealth and power. It is MANASSEH who, after 1800 A.D., was to become the world's greatest single nation -- Ephraim a still greater COMMONWEALTH of nations! Who can they be, today?
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