TEN LOST TRIBES - NYOBS 48.27

TEN LOST TRIBES

First Word

Israel had split apart with two tribes in the South called Judah and

ten tribes in the North called Israel. This study is to look at what the scholars think

happened to the ten Northern tribes; how it all came about

and where they are now.

Setting the stage - Rehoboam

·         King Solomon, King of Israel had incredible building projects underway which he managed to accomplish through forced labor, high taxes and other oppressive actions. – Discontent, discouragement and dissatisfaction existed throughout the kingdom.

·         When King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam took over the throne and consulted with the older leaders on the continuation of the heavy taxation and labor practices of Solomon.  He was advised to go lenient on the taxes and the people would love Him and serve his gladly.

·         He also consulted some of the younger advisors and they advised him to be sterner.

·         Rehoboam took the younger advisors advice and told the people “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. - My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” – The kingdom was now about ready to explode. - This is where we pick up the story.

1 Kings 12:6-7 Old Men – Speak good words – Be lenient
⁶ Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”
⁷ And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.”

(ESV)

1 Kings 12:10-11 – Young men – Speak tough words - Be harder
¹⁰ And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs.
¹¹ And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

(ESV)

1 Kings 12:14 – Rehoboam took the Young men’s advice.
¹⁴ He spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

(ESV)

Enter Jeroboam

·         Jeroboam’s royal appointment had put him in charge of Solomon’s whole labor force and had made him a very powerful political figure.

·         The prophet Ahijah had prophesized that the Lord would divide Israel and give Jeroboam ten of the twelve tribes. – This did not set well with King Solomon and Jeroboam had to flee to Egypt to save his own life.

·         After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam returned to protest the heavy labor practices of Solomon and Rehoboam his son, who was now King.  The protest was rejected and there was a rebellion and Jeroboam was made King of the ten tribes as was prophesized. – These ten tribes retained the name Israel.

·         Rehoboam now only had two tribes; Judah and the small tribe of Benjamin, but they still occupied Jerusalem where the Temple was located. – The two tribes were called Judah as the small tribe of Benjamin was absorbed into it. – This is where we get the term ‘JEWS”

·         Jeroboam feared that because the temple was in Jerusalem, that the people might rebel and drift toward Rehoboam,  so he constructed alternate worship centers in Bethel north of Jerusalem and another further North of Dan which was a defiance of not only Rehoboam, but of the Lord who had established the Temple in Jerusalem as the only place to worship.

·         To make matters worse he mixed the worship of God with the worship of Baal and erected golden calves to represent their god. – He went on to build worship shrines in many high places trying to appeal to everybody. – He then appointed Priest from tribes other than that of the Priestly line of “Levi”. – On occasion he himself would serve as a Priest.

1 Kings 11:29-40 Ahijah prophesized Israel’s split two kingdoms
²⁹ And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country.
³⁰ Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.
³¹ And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes
³⁴ Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes.
³⁵ But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and will give it to you, ten tribes.
⁴⁰ Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

(ESV)

1 Kings 12:19-20 - Jeroboam made king of Ten Tribes
¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
²⁰ And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only. (ESV)

Here’s where we are

·         We now have King Rehoboam in the Southern Kingdom with the two tribes called Judah and King Jeroboam in the Northern Kingdom with ten tribes called Israel. – King Jeroboam and all of Israel have now become a “stench”, an abomination to God with their worship of Baal. 

·         Note:  Jeroboam’s “Ways Of Evil” became the paradigm of an evil king; the Standard of Evil in which all the other kings would be measured – (Wicked Kings were said to have “Waked in the ways of Jeroboam”)

Israel’s War

·         Jeroboam’s worship of false gods brought on the wrath of God and the Prophet Ahijah prophesized that the King’s blasphemy would be the undoing of his dynasty.

·         In 722 or 721 B.C. the mighty Assyrian Army defeated the ten tribes of Israel and took them into exile in Assyria which is the present-day Iraq. – Since that time they have disappeared from history.

·         The descendants of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin have survived because they were allowed to return to their homeland after the Babylonian Exile of 586 BC.

1 Kings 14:7-16 Prophecy – Ten Tribes will be stricken
⁷ Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel
⁸ and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes,
⁹ but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back,
¹⁰ therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone.
¹¹ Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the LORD has spoken it.”’
¹² Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die.
¹³ And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.
¹⁴ Moreover, the LORD will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth,
¹⁵  the LORD will STRIKE ISRAEL as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger.
¹⁶ And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.” (ESV)

Legends and Claims

·         Josephus the Jewish Historian states that the ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates River till now, and are an innumerable multitude and not to be estimated in numbers.

·         North Africa – In the 9^th Century, Jewish communities representing Dan, Naftali, Gad and Asher were reported found in North Africa.

·         Ethiopia – “Beta Israel” (House of Israel) - Legends clam that the “Falashas” (Jews in Ethiopia) claimed they were descendants from the tribe of Dan when they arrived in Israel in the 1970’s. – DNA test showed them linked to Jews from Sudan and on March 14, 1977, Israel officials decided the “Law of Return” applied to Ethiopia.

·         India – “Bene Israel” a Jewish community in India claimed to be a remnant of the ten lost tribes that migrated east to India from the Assyrian exile. – In 2002 DNA test linked the descendants to the tribe of Levi.

·         Japan – In 1878, the Tokugawa and the Machi No Hito races dwelled in tents or tabernacle shaped houses fulfilling Noah’s prophecy regarding Japhet, “He shall dwell in the tents of Shem”. – Many of their traditional customs and ceremonies are similar to ancient Israel.

·         China – In 1605 a Jesuit Missionary discovered a Jewish community in China that had built a synagogue dating back to 1163.

·         Persia – In the 12^th century, remnants of the tribes of Dan, Asher, Zebulun and Naftali were found in Persia.

·         Europe – In the 9^th century, Jewish communities from the tribe of Dan were found.

·         South America – Tales of Indians reciting the devout Jewish prayer known as the Shema were observed in South America.

·         Russia – DNA testing for the Hebrew DNA “Y-chromosome haplogroup” makes up much of the population of Russia as well as Europe. - From there they migrated into France and into the British Isles and Ireland.

·         North America – In 1650 Preacher Thomas Thorowgood trying to convert the Indians in North America to Christianity discovered they were already practicing Jewish customs; he said it would be an arduous task for their conversion. – He argued that they were the descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.

·         The Apocrypha says the Ten Tribes traveled through Arzareth which is the name of the land beyond the Great Euphrates River which is far away from the habitation of man.  - The Jewish Encyclopedia says The Ten Tribes of Israel will dwell there observing the laws of Moses, until the time of the restoration. – Later, Christopher Columbus identified Arzareth as the land of America.

• Joseph of Arimathea, who provided the tomb for Jesus, established a church in the British Isles - The Ten lost tribes migrated to Great Britain and then from there to America.
• The USA and Britain are the only Nations that have set aside a Holy day for rest and worship.
• Brit-Am an organization of Jews and Non-Jews whose mission is to identify the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel  use scriptural interpretation with the Jewish prospective, they point to the countries of Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Wales, France, Holland and Belgium.  The tribe of Dan is found among the Danish, Irish and the Welch.

·         Other countries have claimed to be connected to the Ten Lost Tribes: Ghana, Cameroon, Rwanda and the tribes in Papua New Guinea and in Burma have emerged with similar claims. 

·         I hope I have painted a picture of the Ten Tribes of Israel as scattered throughout the entire world especially the United States of America and I believe the scriptures show that it was all in God’s mysterious plan of Eschatology; the things that are to happen on earth in the end times.  - NYOBS 07.02 - ESCHATOLOGY

The Bible

Genesis 9:26-27 – Japheth dwell in the tents of Shem - JAPAN
²⁶ And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
²⁷ God enlarge Japheth, And let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.  (Prophecy of Noah) (ASV)

The Apocrypha

2 Esdras – Ten Tribes traveled through Arzareth (AMERICA)

Their (Ten Tribes) long journey through that region which is called Arzareth. (America)

The Works of Flavius Josephus

9:14.1.280 – Ten Tribes removed after the Jeroboam revolt

280 So the ten tribes of the Israelites were removed out of Judea nine hundred and forty-seven years after their forefathers were come out of the land of Egypt, and possessed themselves of the country, but eight hundred years after Joshua had been their leader, and, as I have already observed, two hundred and forty years, seven months, and seven days after they had revolted from Rehoboam, the grandson of David, and had given the kingdom to Jeroboam.

The Mystery

·         The 10 tribes of the Northern kingdom of Israel were all carried off into captivity, exiled and scattered among the nations; lost, vanished.  The remaining two tribes that were not carried off was the Southern kingdom of Benjamin and Judah. - With Judah being the largest tribe the term “JEW” for Judah became synonymous with ALL of the people of Israel.

·         Judah is the tribe from which our Messiah Jesus Christ was born; thus Jesus is a JEW.

• By Devine plan, the REMNANT of the Ten Lost Tribes are already in place, scattered throughout the Nations where they will testify of Jesus Christ- (There has always been a remnant)
• The nation of Israel HAS NOT accepted Jesus as the Messiah and is basically a religion of humanism; a religion of “works”, BUT in the end, a multitude will accept Christ.  The occurrence of the rapture of the “Believing Christians” will witness to the Jews who remain on the earth. 

·         The angel of God will seek out 144,000 blameless Jewish bondservants of the Most High God. - 144,000 is only .01% of the total 14 million KNOWN Jews that are in the world today.  

·         These Jews are sealed in order to be protected from the plagues that are to come on the earth with the breaking of the 7 Seals and the sounding of the 7 Trumpets and the pouring out of the wrath of God with the 7 Bowls or vials. - NYOBS 22.02 - ARMAGEDDON

• God pours out his Spirit on the 144,000 messengers and they testify of Him and become His Evangelist that will present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the rest of the JEWS.
• The message will NOT be about God asking them to do something; but about what God has already done for them and for us. - NYOBS 35.16 - 144,000; THE MARK
• These same sealed Jewish Missionaries will bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the rest of the whole world during the tribulation period. - Every nation and tribe will hear them speaking in their own language and dialect, endued with the same power as on the day of Pentecost; the gift of tongues. -  144,000 life changers with the zeal of the Apostle Paul. - Everyone will have a chance to hear the Gospel.  - NYOBS 08.02 - TONGUES

Revelation 14:4 – 144,000 were not defiled with other gods
⁴ These are those (144,000) who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

(NIV2011)

Rev 7:4-8 – Tribes of Israel - 144,000 – ALL JEWS

4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of MANASSEH 12,000, (** half tribe)

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

(NIV2011)

Acts 14:11 – Paul’s ZEAL, speech and actions was as if a god
¹¹ And when the multitude SAW what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. (ASV)

Missing Tribes

·         Historical Note:  Joseph had two sons; Ephraim and Manasseh which were adopted into the tribes of Israel and were known as the half tribes. - That gives us a new total of 14 tribes.

·         The tribe of Dan is missing from the sealed 144,000 as mentioned in Revelation 7:4-10, because it is possibly that this tribe is the source of the Antichrist as implied in scripture.  – At any rate, the half tribe of Manasseh seems to take Dan’s place in the lineup of the 12 Tribes. NYOBS 21.18 - ANTICHRIST

·         The half tribe of Ephraim is also missing from the lineup because this tribe led the way in causing the civil war which divided the ten tribes of the north from the two tribes in the South. – They also had become addicted to idolatry.  - NYOBS 35.16 - 144,000;THE MARK

·         With the tribes of Dan and Ephraim missing, we are now back down to 12 Tribes being sealed and set aside for the “special and honored” evangelistic assignment.

Genesis 3:15 – Satan will strike his heel
¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his HEEL.” (NIV2011)

Gen 49:17 – Dan will be a serpent; Strike his heel

17 Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path that bites the horse's HEELS so that its rider tumbles backward. NIV

NOTE: The sages of the Talmud indicate that the TEN LOST TRIBES were imprisoned by the SAMBATYON RIVER which only rested on the Sabbath, a day which they were forbidden to travel.

A little Intrigue, Myth and Trivia - www.chabad.org - Saga of the Ten Lost Tribes; part 3

·         Perhaps the best-known legend connected to the Ten Lost Tribes is that of the Sambatyon River. - It is said that for six days a week the river rages, making it IMPOSSIBLE TO CROSS, and on the seventh day the waters “rest.” - In fact, when the Roman Governor Tinneius Rufus asked Rabbi Akiva, “How do you know your reckoning of the Sabbath is correct?” Rabbi Akiva replied, “The River Sambatyon proves it, for during six days of the week its waters flow turbulently, and on the Sabbath it subsides.”

·         Tales of this wondrous river have arisen again and again throughout subsequent Jewish history whenever there was an incident of purported contact with The Ten Lost Tribes.

·         That river, the Sambatyon, still throws up stones and dirt, but no water, in a great tumult; if it would meet a mountain of iron, it would quickly destroy it. This waterless river continuously bubbles with stones and dirt six days a week and only on the Shabbat (Sabbath) does it rest. On Friday a cloud settles on its surface, PREVENTING anyone from approaching (although it has stopped boiling), and remains there until after the Sabbath. (No travel on the Sabbath)

·         For that reason it is called Sambatyon, or Sambatino, from the word Sabbath. There are narrow portions of this river, no more than 60 cubits across, where they can stand on one side while we stand on the other and call to each other. - Nevertheless, they (The Ten Lost Tribes) are absolutely IMPRISONED by this river, neither leaving nor receiving visitors… (Isiah 49:9 is their reference; but you would have to already know some Jewish History in order to ever understand it)

Isaiah 49:9 - Go forth from the Sambatyon River
⁹ That thou may say to the prisoners, (of the Sambatyon River) Go forth; to them that are in darkness (The Cloud), Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. (KJV)

Last Word

·         “WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. - The Ten Lost Tribes” as well as Judah and Benjamin have already been spread throughout the entire world according to His marvelous plan. – Some of them have been set aside for a special Holy mission.

·         144,000 JEWS will become completed Jews as they accept Jesus as the Son of God and will be honored to be selected as missionaries to the rest of the Jews and Gentiles throughout the world.  – They will have the gift of tongues and endued with the power of the Holy Spirit as was poured out on the day of Pentecost; sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the vigor of the Apostle Paul and Peter.

·         They will be protected from the plagues of God during the Tribulation period by His seal on their forehead and they will evangelize the world for about 3 to 3 ½ years and then they will be “Raptured”. – They will be the First Fruits of the Tribulation period.

·         The Bible symbolizes the Christian Church as the bride of Christ; a virgin.  – A virgin has only one husband; a whore has many men. - These 144,000 Evangelist are virgins meaning they will have not whored after other gods, but have always worshiped the one God of Israel; YAHWEH.  – Also, they are probably single; not married or bound to family matters or burdened with other things that would impede their mission; so possibly they could also literally be virgins. – Just saying -

·         Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and Seventh Day Adventist all believe that the 144,000 will come from within their own denomination.

·         Some of the 144,000 selected could literally be within your own church if they are JEWISH descendants from one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Otherwise… not so much; but good luck anyway. – SELAH; ponder that.

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Antiquities of the Jews – Flavius Josephus

Bible Almanac; The – Packer – Tenney White

Disappointed with God – Philip Yancey

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Harper’s Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row

Holy Bible; The – New Catholic Edition

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The - Tyndale

Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

New International Dictionary of the Bible: The - Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible - NIV

Pascal’s Wager – Michael A. Gorman

Ten Lost Tribes - www.chabad.org

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wikipedia

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The - Tenney