Chapter 8

Israel and Judah

 

            I must here  reiterate that a lack of understanding of the Old Testament, its history, laws, holy days (read, holidays) and prophecies leads to a gross misunderstanding of the New Testament.  A lack of knowledge about Judah and Israel is why there are so many false prophets and teachers.  Most Judeo-Christians are unaware of the separate histories of Judah and Israel and how the major and minor prophets primarily prophesied to one or the other.  That is a fact that is essential to having a proper understanding of God’s purposes in the world today.

            There were only three kings over all of Israel before the split came between Judah and the northern ten tribes.  Those kings were, Saul, David and Solomon.  After Solomon’s reign, the nation split into two separate and distinct kingdoms.  The northern kingdom retained the name of Israel and was composed of only ten of the original twelve tribes.  The southern kingdom was made up of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin.  The Levites also stayed in the kingdom of Judah because the temple was still in Jerusalem.  From the time of this split unto the present, Judah and Israel have had separate histories and separate relationships with God.

            It never ceases to amaze me when I hear preachers like John Hagee say that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Jews.  Abraham lived long before Judah was born or the nation of Judah was formed.  He could no more be a Jew than my ancestors in Wales could be Americans before there was an America.

            It is also essential to understand how each of these two nations were removed from their lands and why God removed them.  The primary reason for their removal was their continual abandonment of God’s Law and His statutes and judgments, His feast days and Sabbaths.  As mentioned earlier, God only extends His grace for a given length of time and then, absent repentance, He brings judgment. Hosea describes the decadence in the land;

 

[1] Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.  [2] By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Hos. 4:1, 2;

 

Both Israel and Judah were guilty of the same abominations.

            God brought judgment first on Israel, the northern kingdom.  Around 722 BC, the kingdom of Assyria brought their armies against Israel and after a three year war, Israel was destroyed and most of the inhabitants were taken captive into Assyria.  The Israelites would remain there in captivity for at least one hundred years until the fall of Assyria at the hands of the Medes and the Babylonians.  It was at this time that a huge migration began as the Israelites left their place of bondage and began heading west into the Mediterranean and European areas.  Some returned to Samaria but the larger number of them did not.  The reason that the ten tribes never reestablished their nation was because many different peoples had moved into the region of their former kingdom and had built new cities and towns and the Israelites had also been divorced by God and He had thrown them out of His house.  God was true to His law;

 

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. Deut. 24:1,

 

This was the fate of Israel;

 

Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away?  Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?  Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Isa. 50:1

 

Also God says in Jeremiah;

 

And I saw that for all of the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. Jer. 3:8

 

            One of the extensions of this law was that a woman who was divorced and put away, if she married another man and that man died, she could not remarry her former husband.  When God divorced Israel, she went and married herself to foreign gods and even though she might abandon those gods, God was not free to remarry her.  But by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, her old husband died.  When Christ rose from the grave, He was now free to marry Israel again.  How wonderful our God is who can do the most miraculous things to bring us back to Him.  The bride of Christ are those Israelites and Judahites who are made perfect in Christ and are virgins dressed in white linen, the linen He provides for us.

After their migrations, the Israelites would forget their identity and become known as the gentiles.  This was also ordained of God;

 

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles (nations) be come in. Rom. 11:12

 

This was a mystery that few would realize until God would lift the scales from their eyes, which He is presently doing.

            Judah was taken captive by Babylon around 595 BC and they remained captives there for seventy years.  God, through Daniel, told them of their return to their land and of the 490 year time cycle until the Messiah.  Around 125 BC, John Hyrcanus forced the nation of Edom to convert to Judaism or perish.  The Edomites submitted and many of them were moved into Judah and adopted the religion of Judaism and underwent the rite of circumcision.  The Edomites soon gained positions of prominence in Judea and many joined the religious sect of the Pharisees.  Most notable were Herod Antipas, his son, Herod, and Caiphas and Annas.  In fact, most of the High Priests had been Edomites at the time when Jesus started His ministry.  Because of Judah’s refusal to accept Jesus as their Messiah and King and instead murdered Him, they too were cast off their land in 70 AD when the armies of Titus defeated their rebellion against Rome.  Most of the remaining Jews went into other parts of the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean area and parts of Europe just as their kinsmen before them had done.

 

 

The Migrations of Israel

 

            A vast number of the Israelites left Assyria and moved through the passes in the Caucasus mountains into Europe.  Ever wonder why these people are called Caucasians?  I remember one of my history teachers telling us about the long history of the Asiatic people and that of the African people but he told us that the Caucasians were a mystery; they just suddenly appeared on the face of history with no antiquity.  It wasn’t until I learned the truth of the migrations of Israel that I understood this mystery.

Many other Israelites migrated into the Mediterranean areas of Galatia, Greece, Rome, Spain, the British Isles and areas all over Europe.  There’s a good map showing these migrations at:  http://www.asis.com/users/stag/ltmapcom.html  The entire population of the kingdom of Israel did not go into the Assyrian captivity but fled the onslaught which lasted 15-20 years.  Those that left Assyria after the captivity were referred to by the Assyrians as Khumri, so called because of one of the last kings of Israel, Omri.  It’s interesting to note that of all the names given to the Israelites, this one is the name used today by the Welsh in referring to themselves; Cymru; pronounced [ˈkəmrɨ]  The many others were also referred to as Scythians, Cimmereans, Daci, Normans, Celts, Galatians, etc.

In all of Paul’s epistles he addresses his readers as brethren.  Many might think that this was a reference to being brothers in Christ but Paul explains his use of the phrase in Romans;

 

[3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: [4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;  Rom. 9:3, 4

 

 Most of those to whom he wrote were not yet “brothers” in Christ because he had not yet preached the Gospel to them, some were and some were not but he always refers to them as his brethren.

            Paul was not the only one who knew that the Israelites were scattered all over Europe and the Roman Empire.  In James’ epistle he begins by saying,

 

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.  Jas. 1:1

 

The first century Jewish historian, Josephus, also reported of their numbers in his, “Antiquities of The Jews.”  In 93 CE Josephus reported that,

 

… the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.  http://www.blainerobison.com/hebroots/twelve-tribes.htm

 

In their Assyrian captivity, the Israelites were situated east of the Euphrates river and Josephus’ reference to them being “beyond Euphrates” indicates they had migrated westward.  How could Paul know that these people were his brethren according to the flesh and James know that the tribes were scattered abroad and Josephus know that they were so vast in numbers that they were an immense multitude if, as is taught by most theologians today, they had disappeared into history?

            Archaeologist, E. Raymond Capt, spent most of his life researching the many evidences concerning the migrations of Israel.  His charts and writings compile a lifetime of dedicated research and study.   One should take the time to investigate his work and the factual evidence he uncovered over the many years of his life.

            It becomes too obvious to ignore that the northern kingdom of Israel did not disappear into history but migrated in vast numbers into the areas that would later become Europe and from there into the Americas, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.  From Assyria to Europe to the Pacific Ocean, the Israelites always pushed westward in ever growing numbers.  Some went north, some went south but the vast majority pushed west.

 

The Marks of Israel

 

            When God spoke to Jacob/Israel on the night he had his vision of the ladder ascending to heaven, the LORD said,

 

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.  Gen. 28:14

 

And again,

 

And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. Gen. 32:12

 

 I believe Josephus’ statement above was not a paraphrase of this verse but was his comment that exactly paralleled and evidenced the partial fulfillment of the promise of God.

            The population of the world is estimated at 6.5 billion and the European people and their descendants make up about 25-30% of that figure; a number as large as the sands of the sea to be sure.

            God said that He would scatter Israel into the countries of the heathens but He would not forsake them entirely.

 

For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee Jer. 30:11

 

And further here,

 

Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, he that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock. 31:10

 

Israel was scattered into the heathen nations and into the isles afar off and there to remain until the time of their redemption which our Lord provided.  The 49th chapter of Isaiah also tells the story quite well.  Nathan the prophet spoke the word of the Lord to David and said,

 

Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I 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 ….  2 Sam. 7:10

 

This statement was made to David as he sat on the throne and Israel had already been established and they already had a dwelling place, which caused David to recognize that it was a prophecy of the distant future.

 

And yet this was insignificant in your eyes, O Lord GOD; for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future.  And this is the custom of man O Lord GOD. NASB translation.  Jer. 7:19

 

God was telling David that Israel was to be established in another place in the distant future.  When Columbus sailed from Spain and discovered the New World, it became inundated with millions of Christian Europeans over the next few centuries.  The ancient name for Spain was, Tarshish.

 

Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.  NASB translation. Isa. 60:9

 

            A number of scholars, statesmen, authors and many others have stated their beliefs that the British Isles and the Americas were inhabited by the Israelites.  An example is found in the Scottish Declaration of Independence; in pertinent part,

 

… and coming thence one thousand two hundred years after the outgoing of the people of Israel, they, by many victories and infinite toil, acquired for themselves the possessions in the West, which they now hold ….

 

Governor Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut wrote to George Washington and stated,

 

Now therefore be strong and very courageous, May the God of the armies of Israel shower down the blessings of His Divine Providence on You.

 

            References to the fact that these European, British, American and Canadian people were Israelites can be found in the writings of, Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, William Tyndale, religious reformer, Sir Francis Drake, the explorer, King James the VI of Scotland who commissioned the King James Bible, Pastor Joseph Cotton, Edward Johnson, historian, Pastor Increase Mather, John Bunyan, author, Pastor Jonas Clark, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to name but a few.

            The tribe of Dan was known for their wanderings even before the Assyrian captivity.  You can find Dan’s marks all over Europe in places like the Danube river and Denmark.  Some of the original Irish were called, Tuatha Da Danae or, tribe of Dan.  As well as Dan, it’s interesting to note that the name of the British, when broken down, becomes B’rith Ish or, man of the covenant.

            There are also a number of Jewish sources who believe that the Anglo-Saxon people are the descendants of the Israelites.  In 1953, Alfred M. Lilienthal stated,

 

Here’s a paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox: an anthropological fact, many Christians may have much more Hebrew-Israelite blood in their veins than most of their Jewish neighbors.

 

Harry Golden said in 1967,

 

Isaiah, the prophet, wrote that the remnant of Yahweh’s people would be found in the “isles of the sea.”  Isn’t it reasonable this remnant may be the people of the British Isles.….as they made their way across Europe, they left indelible evidence of their journey….these were the fellows who migrated to the next island and came to call themselves Scotsmen.”

 

Mayor Ed Koch, in 1987, admitted to this truth,

 

The ten lost tribes of Israel we believe ended up in Ireland.

 

I wish Christians could understand this following statement, the pertinent part of which I have highlighted for emphasis.  This is from the Jewish Encyclopedia under, “Tribes, Lost Ten.”

 

If the ten tribes have disappeared, the literal fulfillment of the prophecies would be impossible; if they have not disappeared, obviously they must exist under a different name.

 

            God gave a long list of promises to Israel: Israel to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth; Israel to have a new home; Israel to live on coasts and islands of the earth; to colonize and spread abroad; their new land was to be inhabited by people from many nations; they would live securely without walls or gates, a land of unwalled villages; their new land would be bordered by an Eastern Sea and a Western Sea; they would recognize their Shepherd and become the sheep of His pasture; be blind to their identity and have God’s laws written on their hearts and minds.

            Who are the only people on the face of the earth who, through their histories and travels, have all of these attributes?  The European peoples and their descendants fulfill all of these promises and prophecies which God made and the world is still blind to that fact.

 

The Migrations of Judah

 

            Since I am not Jewish and have little knowledge of their culture, religion or beliefs, I will only reference what little history I know and then let their own Rabbis, scholars and teachers speak for themselves.  Any person’s genealogical history should properly be stated by their ancestors and kinsmen and not so much by others.  After all, it is their history.

            The Jewish diaspora actually began with the Babylonian captivity and although they returned to Jerusalem for several centuries, they never regained the prominence they had prior to the captivity.  As stated above, Titus’ armies defeated the last Jewish resistance against the Roman empire in 70 AD and it was at that time that the Jews were forced to migrate elsewhere in order to survive.

            For the most part, the Jews moved into many of the nations their Israelite brethren had established before them and sat up Jewish communities wherever they went.  Unlike the Israelites, the Jews never founded or formed a nation of their own until 1948 when the nation of Israel was founded.  The only exception to this may be when they became a large force in the nation of Khazaria.  Jews had been under much persecution in Europe, Russia and the Mediterranean countries but were welcomed with open arms into Khazaria.  In time, many of the Khazars adopted the Jewish religion and the nation flourished for nearly 800 years.  But, they were ultimately overrun and their empire defeated and destroyed.  From http://www.khazaria.com/khazar-history.html we read,

 

The Rus inherited most of the former Khazar lands in the late 10th century and early 11th century.  One of the most devastating defeats came in 965, when Rus Prince Svyatoslav conquered the Khazar fortress of Sarkel.  It is believed that he conquered Itil two years later, after which he campaigned in the Balkans.  Despite the loss of their nation, the Khazar people did not disappear.  Some of them migrated westward into Hungary, Romania, and Poland, mixing with other Jewish communities.

 

                 Although Khazaria was not a Jewish nation as such, it was still a place where their numbers and culture flourished.  The Jewish historian, Arthur Koestler, has written very thoroughly about the history of this empire in his book, “The Thirteenth Tribe.”

            Eventually the Jews who left Khazaria moved into most of the nations of Europe and developed communities wherever they went and many remain there to this day.  Jews who have these roots are generally referred to as, Ashkenazim.  The only other group I’m aware of are referred to as Sephardic and have their roots primarily in Spain and date back to the time before Christ.  The only statistics I could find as to the number of each stated that the Ashkenazi are about 80% of the Jewish population worldwide and the Sephardic, 20%.  This would be a very rough approximation since there are undoubtedly others with different roots.

            If the information above is true then it brings up some very obvious questions.  Are the Jews in Israel of today of Hebrew origin?  In his excellent book, “The Struggle for the Birthright,” Stephen Jones points out that Jacob had stolen the birthright from his brother because he could not wait for God to unfold His plan.  Jacob disguised himself as Esau and deceived his father into believing he was the firstborn. When Isaac blessed Jacob, he did not know that it wasn’t Esau.  But once the blessing had been given, it could not be retracted.  So, Jacob received the birthright by deceit.  In these last days, Esau has deceptively stolen the birthright back by disguising himself as Jacob/Israel.  In both cases, whoever held the birthright was required to bring in the Kingdom of God.  Jacob failed to do so and so now it remains to be seen if Esau will bring in the Kingdom of God.  But time is running out for both.

            Whether or not Jewish people have Hebrew DNA is immaterial to the fact that once Israel split into two kingdoms the distinction was made between Jews and Israelites and is just as true today as when the split occurred.  Judah was given the scepter and Israel was given the birthright and it would be improper to interchange the two inheritances.

            Without an understanding of who the Israelites of Scripture became and where they migrated, you can never hope to understand prophecy or God’s plan for His people or for other people as well.  The knowledge of this truth is vital and the ramifications from not knowing it are evident throughout all of Christendom and the world.

 

 

Suggested reading, audio and video:

 

Evangelist Ted R. Weiland’s excellent book: “God’s Covenant People Yesterday, Today and Forever”

http://www.missiontoisrael.org/books-summary.php

 

Dr. Stephen Jones: “The Struggle for the Birthright”

 

Arthur Koestler: “The Thirteenth Tribe”