The United States in Prophecy
PART TWO
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, reigned 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 God said, "I will
surely lend the Kingdom from thee, and 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 rended away. It
is the PART, one tribe, which is to remain. That tribe, Judah, roust
remain subject to the throne — why? "FOR DAVID'S SAKE!" David's dynasty
must not be broken. God 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 house 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 tie tribe
of JUDAH only." (I Kings 12:19-20).
Then "Rehoboam , . .
assembled a11 the HOUSE OF JUDAH, with the tribe of Benjamin." (verse
21). Rehoboam started to right to subdue and bring back the House of
Israel, but God 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-
What Has Gone Before:
WHERE
is the United States mentioned in Bible prophecy? The fact is, more ii
foretold of our people than any other race! But in prophecy, modern
nations; usually are called by the names of ancient ancestor! from
which they have sprung.
Centuries ago the wealth, power, and
national greatness which has become ours since 1800 was promised by the
Almighty to Abraham for his descendants. Few have noticed that the
promises to Abraham were TWO-fold in nature-material promises of RACE
as well as spiritual promises of GRACE.
"Thou shalt be a father
of MANY NATIONS," God promised. The Jews have never been more than one
nation. The material, national, racial promises are called the
BIRTHRIGHT—meaning right of birth —something inherited by birth as
one's RIGHT. Thus the BIRTHRIGHT has nothing to do with salvation, or
GRACE, which means UN-deserved pardon, UN-merited favor, the gift of
God, RE-birth of the Spirit.
The spiritual promises of GRACE —
the promise of a dynasty of kings, culminating in Christ as King of
kings—the promise of the "one seed," Jesus Christ, and salvation
through Him, the Bible calls the "SCEPTRE." The SCEPTRE was given to
JUDAH, of which tribe Jesus was hero (Gen. 49:10), but the BIRTHRIGHT
was JOSEPH'S! (I Chron. 5:2).
The Birthright included ownership
pf the promised LAND. In passing the birthright on to the two sons of
Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, the aged Jacob (Israel) said, "Let ray
name (ISRAEL) be named on them . . . and let them grow into a
multitude." (Gen, 48:18). They, not Judah, were given the NAME, *"House
of ISRAEL." Together they were to grow into a multitude, but eventually
their descendants were to separate, Manasseh then to become the world's
greatest single nation, Ephraim's descendants a still greater company,
or commonwealth, of nations, (Gen. 48:19). Thus Ephraim became the
Birthright holder. Included in the vast national and material blessings
promised was possession of the "gates" of their enemy nations.
Later
David, like Abraham, received a most astonishing UNconditional promise
from God, in an unbreakable covenant This covenant guaranteed on God's
authority that David's dynasty would never cease. From that day on,
through ALL generations, David would never lack a son to reign over
children of Israel — at least enough of them to form a nation. The
throne was to endure continuously "FOREVER ! This promised dynasty of
David was part of the SCEPTRE promise. God promised the Sceptre should
endure, in Judah's hands, until the second coming of Christ (Gen-
49:10). The world supposes this throne to have ceased 600 yearn before
Christ, Jesus did not take it over, has never done so yet. But He shall
sit on that same throne, at His second coming (Luke 1:31-32). COULD He
sit on a throne, if it ceased to exist 2500 years ago ?
was
about to fight against the other ten tribes, beaded by Ephraim and
Manasseh. The two tribes at Jerusalem wider the Davidic king are
called, merely, the House of JUDAH. But of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons
of Joseph, the dying Israel bad said "Let my name be named on them."
Ana truly they now BEAR the name of ISRAEL. It is the TEN tribes that
ate called "ISRAEL."
From here on. the tribe of Judah, wall
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 BIRTH-RIGHT goes into one nation, ISRAEL
headed by Ephraim-Manasseh, while the SCEPTRE 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; 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, end 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 Christ, TWO DIFFERENT AND SEPARATE NATIONS. The term "Jew" is
merely a nick-name for "Judah," It applies to the one nation, or House
of Judah ONLY—never to the House of ISRAEL.
The first place in all the Bible when the word "JEW" is used is in II Kings 16:6. Notice it!
Ahab
began to reign as king of JUDAH (verse 1). He sat on DAVID'S throne,
(verse 2). At this rime a man named Pekah was king of ISRAEL. With King
Rezin of Syria as 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 drive 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 at] the Bible does the term "ISRAEL" refer
to the JEWS, The term "Israel" alone, or "children of Israel," may, •ad
sometimes does, include the Jews, where all twelve bribes are included.
Jews ire Israelites, just as Oregonians are Americans. But MOST
Israelites arc not Jews, just as most Americans are not Oregonians. The
Jews are the House of Judah only, A PAST 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." On the Other tend, "House of Judah" ALWAYS
means "Jews."
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 bad been driven out la captivity, lost from view, and the term
applies ONLY to those •f the House of JUDAH. There are NO exceptions in
the Bible!
ISRAEL Driven Out and LOST!
Immediately
on becoming king over the Rouse 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 (Sack. 20:10-24), was the great national sin, which
became such a curse to Israel. Generation after generation, God:
pleaded with the House of Israel to rum from tradition—from their
fathers ways, and to return to keeping God's commandments,
But, through seven different dynasties under 19 kings, Israel continued
these nations! sins,—sins SO GREAT in GOD'S sight, that finally God
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 the Lord
was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there
mat none left hut the tribe of Judah only." (II Kings 17:19).
In
Leviticus 26 we find God'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
great, rich, and powerful,—the dominant nation of all earth. But, if
they refused and re>-belled, 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 1800 A. D.!
And
BECAUSE they, of these ten tribes, bore the NAME Israel identifying
them as God's chosen people-because God bad created this nation for the
purpose of showing forth His praise, as an example to other nations,
reflecting the glory of God-— and because they had become such a
liability to His cause, a reproach to His name, God now ordained that
they should actually LOSE THEIR IDENTITY. Now they must lose knowledge
of their name, Israel. They must be considered as Gentiles, that they
continue no longer to cast such a stain upon the name of the Lord their
God!
So "the Lord removed Israel out of His tight... So Israel
was 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, (v. 24), and it is these Gentiles who
were known as Samaritans in the time of Christ.
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," (Hos.
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. (Isa. 8:17*. Isa. 28:11;
Isa. 62:2; Isa. 40:27; Hos, 2:3-6, Jer. 16s 13; Hos. 1:8-10.)
ISRAEL Never Returned
They
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. $o NONE of the
House of Israel dwelt to Palestine at the time of this captivity of
Judah.
3) Those who returned to Palestine to rebuild the temple
and restore warship 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 Christ 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?
by Herbert W Armstrong The PLAIN TRUTH November-December, 1940
