Printable Page

From FULL RESTORATION OF ALL ISRAEL series

What Judaism Really Says About Joseph’s Seed!

By Rabbi/Brother Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky

Part Four In A Series On The Full Restoration of Israel

Despite the denials of large segments of Messianic Judaism and the blindness of major parts of Christendom, the ancient Jewish rabbis, leaders and sages had understanding and revelation into the status and whereabouts of the House of Joseph. There was very little mystery surrounding the "ten lost tribes", as there seems to be today. These sages understood that the House of Joseph, also known as the ten tribes, were not only never lost, but had keen awareness of exactly what had become of them. The very idea that they were lost, or that somehow Yahuwah could not trace them, was considered an anti-Semitic doctrine, that sadly wished away the people of Israel. Most of the ancient sages have based their insights on Scripture and therefore they are to be considered most valid. Their extraordinary conclusions in most cases, do line up with Scripture.

Those in modern day Messianic Judaism, need to reconnect with the past understanding in this area, in order for other traditional Jews to take them seriously as a legitimate form of Judaism. Almost all of the great sages of our nation had some kind of virtual agreement regarding the House of Israel or Ephraim, which became a separate nation from the rest of the House of David officially in 921BC and remains so to this day. The Scriptures that ancient Judaism used to validate Ephraim’s eternal chosen status and eternal existence, were found in such clear texts as Psalm 60:7, where Ephraim (a term used for the collective ten tribes of the north), is called the strength of Yahuwah’s head. In order for the ten tribes to be lost, Yahuwah would in essence have to lose His strength or His very head!

Jeremiah 31:9 declared to the ancients that the nation of Israel was His eternal son (Hosea 11:1) and that Ephraim would always be the firstborn to Him. Later in Jeremiah 31: 20, Yahuwah reminds all of us, that despite His past pronouncements against His firstborn son Ephraim, He earnestly and sincerely, remembers him and therefore will have mercy on him.

This pronouncement by Yahuwah, is in direct contrast to those within modern religious circles, who have announced Ephraim as missing in action, or dead on arrival and a mere figment of the imagination of two-house proponents. If Yahuwah remembers and recognizes them as still being functional as individuals within the world (though never fully reassembled as a distinct nation any time before Yahshua), we must not forget that we as Messianic Jews, are in fact our brothers keeper. Psalm 80:1 is a clarion call to those who consider themselves true shepherds of Israel, to lead Israel as does Yahuwah Himself, the one who dwells between the cherubims.

Verses 1-3 of Psalm 80, state that in order to be a New Covenant shepherd after Yahuwah’s own heart, the people that the shepherd must lead are EPHRAIM AND BENJAMIN, not just Benjamin. If a shepherd of Israel recognizes that the people of Israel he is leading are a redeemed remnant from both houses, then that individual will be able to minister to all the former lost sheep of the children of Israel. From Scripture it is abundantly clear that Judahites and Ephraimites, who have been redeemed by Yahshua’s precious blood, both have different needs to be met by loving pastoral care. These needs are often very different. In order for Messianic leadership to dispense the proper pastoral care, we must first recognize the differing needs within the flock that is being led.

According to Psalm 80, that flock is identical to the one our Heavenly Father Himself leads from heaven. Whether we fully understand this biblical principle of two-house restoration through Messiah or not, it is nevertheless incumbent upon us to realize that salvation is the saving grace to all Israelites from both houses! Both houses are represented within our flocks, for that is the way the Master Yahshua has ordained it. We must adjust our leadership accordingly. Our leadership must take on more of an acceptance and allowance for Joseph’s seed, just as did the ancient sages of the Jewish people.

An early Jewish work called the Zohar, stated that Israel (10 tribes), is represented by a rose, the description of which represents the Tudor Rose of England. In contrast, the rose among the thorns (Song of Solomon 2:2), is said to be the full assembly of Israel (12 tribes) among the nations. Just as the rose petals are red and white among the thorns, all of Israel is dispensing a dual positive aroma of justice and mercy among the gentiles. The Rose Of Israel is said to have 13 petals for the 13 tribes including Levi, but the English Tudor Rose only has 10 petals. Why ten? The British Empire, dominated by the predominant tribe of Ephraim, is composed of ten tribes! The rabbis have confirmed that in the precincts of the two ancient Temples on Mt. Moriah, was a special rose garden situated between the current wailing wall and the actual temples (Mishnah Middott ch.1). According to the ancients of Judah, this rose garden will have to be replanted when the third temple is built. Since many believe that the USA is primarily composed of Manasseh/Israelites, it is most interesting that there is a rose garden in front of the White House in America, named America according to many Jewish rabbis because of Machir, Manasseh’s firstborn son.

The Zohar also describes the future return of the ten tribes with the House of Judah. Rabbi Eliezer of Pirkei Avot fame stated "Every prince or great man that arose in Israel, was given the name Ephrati." Ephrati is defined as one who is an aristocrat or noble man. The Talmud believed that descendents of the House of Ephraim became noble aristocrats wherever they were scattered. In the Talmud Yalkut Shimeoni A77, commenting on First Samuel 1:1, Rabbi Raddak states that "Ephrati is taken to mean someone from the tribe of Ephraim and of noble birth." These rabbis understood that when the House of Joseph was scattered around the world, they would turn up in the west as nobles, aristocrats and monarchs. Rabbi David Kimchi who lived in 1157-1236, in his commentary entitled Radak, said, "in the mountain of Ephraim means greatness and importance." Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi states that "Ephraim means those who dwell in the palace, or an extremely noble person living in Mt Ephraim. The implications are clear. The ancient sages understood that the ten tribes would flourish as noblemen everywhere they went. Nowhere is this truth found more than in the former British Empire and her colonies, where the class of nobility is separated from the commoners to this day.

The Talmud states in Yebamot 17 B, that the ten tribes of scattered Israel in their places of exile, are legally "gentiles" for all intents and purposes as far as keeping Torah and halachah are concerned. This clear traditional rabbinical understanding stands in direct opposition to much of Messianic Judaism, who swear by heaven that saved gentiles returning (Acts 15:19) to the Sukkah of David, cannot possibly be lost Israelites. This pontification stands in direct contrast to Yebamot 17B which while not inspired by the Ruach Hakodesh, does give us insight into the consensus of the traditional Jewish rabbis. Malachi 4:4 reminds us, that in the restoration of Israel all Israel will keep Torah, since Yahuwah states that it was given for all Israel, not just for Jewish Israel.

The rabbis understood that Isaiah 49 was a clear reference to the location of the ten tribes of Israel. In Isaiah 49:1, Yahuwah speaks to the isles and the people of Israel far away. These are the isles of the Atlantic Ocean (Britain, coastlands of Europe, North America). These places are mentioned in Isaiah 49 in direct correlation with the tribes of Israel. The flag of Britain is called the Union Jack, or the Commonwealth of Jacob. In Isaiah 49:5, Scripture states that the Messiah would be formed (born) primarily to "bring Jacob back." Back from where? According to verse 1, Israel will return from the coastlands and islands of Britain, Northwest Europe and North America. Isaiah 49:6 states that the Messiah, Yahuwah’s personification of all that is Israel (Hosea 11:1), will be Yahuwah’s chosen and formed servant to "bring Jacob back." The Messiah would enlighten the nations or gentiles, in order to rescue the preserved ones (notzrim) of Israel and through this rescue, the restoration of the tribes would occur. This includes all 12 tribes from both houses (verses 5-6). The phrase ends of the earth in verse 6, indicates the location from where this rescue of Israel’s preserved ones will occur. According to the Jewish sages, the term ends of the earth in verse 6 mean all the peoples who dwell "in the geographical extremities of the continental land masses, furthest away from Jerusalem, considered to be the earth’s center. Rav Shaul (Paul), confirms this midrashic interpretation in Ephesians 2:17-19, where he calls those returning FROM FAR or from the ENDS OF THE EARTH, as reclaiming citizenship in Israel by Messiah’s blood and by His determined search and rescue mission for the ten tribes (Ephesians 2:13)! The term "far off" or "ends of the earth", is not as is commonly taught, a term for gentiles. Rather it is and has always been a catch phrase, for scattered Israel amongst the gentiles, who were said to be "far away" from Jerusalem, the geographical, cultural and religious center of the globe. In Isaiah 49:8-9, this same servant of Yahuwah, is said to be given to the people of Israel as a "Brit-Am" or a covenant of the people. The ancient rabbis understood this to mean, that Messiah would restore the earth by causing the "covenant people" of Israel, to inherit the world’s desolate heritages. Through colonialism, the peoples of Northwest Europe, the British Empire and other places of Israelite dispersion (Denmark, Ireland, France, Spain etc.), would inherit the former desolate heritages. These desolate heritages include but are not limited to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and parts of North America. These desolate heritages were positively influenced by the Brit Am or the Covenant People, that Yahshua is said to be bringing back. Verses 9-11 of Isaiah 49, teach us the stabilizing influence upon the desolate heritages, that ten tribe Ephraim will exert, which will allow them to also inherit these lands, by the theocratic freedom they will proclaim.

The midrashim Numbers Rabah 1:6, Eicah Rabah 2:9, (Jerusalem Sanhedrin 17:6,29) on these verses (Isaiah 49:9-11) comment as follows: Rabbi Beracahiah and Rabbi Chelbo, in the name of Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman said. "To three places was Israel (Ephraim) exiled. One to beyond the Sambation River, one to Daphneh of Antioch and one to where the clouds came down and covered them. In the same way that the tribes east of the Jordan River were also exiled to three places (Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh). How do we know this? From the verse that says "to the prisoners go forth" (Isaiah 49:9). These are those exiled beyond Sambation. "To them that are in darkness, show yourselves", these are those whom the cloud descended upon and covered. "Let them feed on the ways and let their pasture be on all the bare hills." These are those exiled to Daphne of Antioch."

Isaiah 49:10-11, speak of the fact that the ten tribes of Ephraim/Israel will settle and return from an area not lacking in food and water. Verse 11 states that their migratory path away from Israel to far away places, would be primarily through mountainous terrain. History shows (Josephus and others), that the bulk of the tribes of Ephraim, were resettled north of Assyria in the Caucasus mountains. These mountains provided the way towards their eventual migration westward and Northwest into Europe. This is substantiated from Scripture. In Hosea 11:10 when Ephraim/Israel learns to follow Yahuwah, they will roar like a lion. Obviously it is the Lion of the tribe of Yehudah who teaches them to roar. They mimic His roar as a verbal sign of the end of their Diaspora. When Ephraim puts forth the roar of Judah’s Almighty Lion, the sons of Ephraim/Israel, according to this verse "shall tremble from the west." They can only come trembling from the west if they have settled in the west (Europe, North America and the Atlantic Ocean’s coastlands).

Hosea 12:1 states that Ephraim in their rebellion, followed an east wind, which blew them directly west of Jerusalem. When they return in obedience through Judah’s Lion, they will follow a west wind, which will blow them and carry them back directly east to the Middle East and into the land of Yisrael! According to Hosea 6:2, this return of the House of Israel to the children of Israel, will occur two days or two thousand years after Messiah’s appearing, so that starting with the third millennium AD, they can be raised up to zoe (abundant) life in Messiah. The commencement of the third day (2001 AD), is destined to bring renewed life to Ephraim/Israel and takes place at the close of the second day, or the two thousandth year since Messiah’s first advent!

Rashi, also know as Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchazki (lived in France in the 11^th century), is perhaps the most revered Jewish commentator on Scripture in the history of the Jewish nation. One would be hard pressed to find a Hebrew Tanach (First Covenant), without his commentary footnoted for every single verse on the bottom of every page. Rashi’s commentary on this verse teaches that Ephraim will return in the days of the building of the third temple (third millennium AD). Once that third temple is built, you and I can expect to see the floodgates of Ephraimite/Christian/Zionist immigration, spill over from tiny modern Israel, into the greater Israel, promised to the patriarchs (Zechariah 10:10). These are those days my friends. May they never end!

Isaiah 49:12 talks about Israelites coming from far away and specifying this return as coming from the north, the west and the land of SINIM. Sinim, according to Rashi and the Aramaic translation of verse 12, is the land of "the south." The land farthest away and furthest south from Israel is Australia! In the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible by Jerome, the word in verse 12 for Sinim is Australi, or in English Australia! Rashi attributes the lost tribe of Simeon to Australia, the "great Southland." Furthermore, the name Sinim contains the root word for Sinai, both the mountain and the entire Sinai Peninsula. The Sinai Peninsula hosted a large population from the tribe of Simeon. In many respects Australia is similar to the Sinai Peninsula. In verses 14-17 of Isaiah 49, we see ten tribe Israel’s response to their end time ingathering. They are commanded to sing songs of Zion in verse 13 and to give up their old refrain of "we are lost and forgotten." It is the Messiah Yahshua who puts a new song in their heart, replacing the old "lost and forsaken" lament.

In verse 16 of Isaiah 49, we see that it is by the nail scarred imprints in Yahshua’s hands which He received on Golgotha, that this restoration takes place. He reminds the scattered sheep of the House of Israel to look at the nail scarred hands of Messiah and realize that they have not been forgotten, lost, or forsaken. This passage has to be referring to Israel (Ephraim), since Judah had not yet been taken captive to either Babylon in 585 BC, or globally by the Roman Emperor Titus in 70 AD, when Isaiah was written in 720 BC. In verse 18 of Isaiah 49, Yahuwah tells His Son Yahshua to put on regathered Ephraim as an ornament of Yahuwah’s remarriage to His people. In verses 19-21 of Isaiah 49, we see a major divinely mandated role reversal. In Messiah’s days, we see Ephraim’s oppressors and captors being tormented with global dispersion never to be regathered, while Ephraim/Israel has been regathered back to the land of their former destruction! Those who did the swallowing will take Ephraim’s place in the exile as the swallowed! This is exactly what historically has happened to the now defunct Assyrian empire. Isaiah 49 verse 20 shows that returning Ephraim, will be so numerous, that the land of Israel as it appears today will not have enough room to contain Joseph’s seed! In verse 21 the amazed peoples of Ephraim, are flabbergasted at the fact that their brethren (other lost Israelites) are not only still extant, but in fact numerically multiplied, and prosperous,

"From where did THEY (other fellow Israelites) come?" The rabbis understood these verses clearly. It is amazing how Messianic Judaism does not. I guess Isaiah knew this, when he talked about both houses stumbling through partial blindness (Isaiah 8:14, Romans 11:25). Rabbi Bar Shalom compares Isaiah 49:21 to Genesis 48:8, when the patriarch Israel turns to JOSEPH AND ASKS (about Ephraim and Manasseh), WHO ARE THESE? Rabbi Bar Shalom by implication is saying that returning (saved) Judah, will not recognize Ephraim and Manasseh, in much the same manner that Israel the patriarch, the first Israelite, failed to initially recognize his grandchildren, who were his Ephraimite offspring and biological Israelites!

Rabbi Abba’s commentary on this verse in Isaiah 49:21, is similar to Rabbi Bar Shalom’s. "What does this verse imply?" he asks. That the Heavenly Patriarch of Israel (Yahuwah), foresaw the assembling of Israel before Him in the future." According to Isaiah 11:11 "In that day Yahuwah shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of His people which shall be left from ASSYRIA, Mitzrayim (Egypt), Pathros and form Cush (Black Israelites), from Hamamth and from the ISLES OF THE SEA!" Rabbi Abba understood that the first time Yahuwah would call Israel home to the land, it would be Jewish/Israel. The second call would be to Ephraim/Israel. Isaiah 11:12-13 states that the restoration of the House of Judah is simultaneous to that of the House of Israel. By definition the Jews cannot return to Israel physically and Messiah spiritually, without a simultaneous retrieval of the other House of Israel. Ephraim will be regathered as gentiles until they come to know who they really are at a later period, following gentle and loving instruction by regenerated Judah (Zechariah 8:23). Jeremiah 31:18-19, Zechariah 10:6-12, speaks of Israel’s simultaneous return from among the nations as a return of gentiles. Zechariah 6:15 talks about returning Ephraim as born again Israelite-Christians (non-Jewish believers) and Christian Zionists, who will rebuild the Hekel, or the third temple on Mt. Moriah! In the clearest possible terms, Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Shalom both talk about the returning Israelites, who will be RECONVERTED, REUNITED AND RESTORED as one with Jewish/Israel!!

What is utterly fascinating is that later in this same Zohar verse, it states that "they will divide from each other", which means that the foreign non-Jewish believing element will voluntarily separate from returning Israel, not wanting any part of it and its right of circumcision (Torah). In other words, though some believers have the scriptural opportunity to return as legitimate saved physical citizens of the Commonwealth of Israel, they will disobey Yahuwah and voluntarily (because of Jew-hatred and poor teaching?), separate THEMSELVES from Israel, even though Yahuwah continues to view them as Israel. Is there a better explanation anywhere in any rabbinical literature, of the future status of the man-made separate entity called "The Church?" Through rebellion they broke away from the New Covenant twelve tribe remnant people of Israel and called THEMSELVES "THE CHURCH"!

This separate entity moved the capital of New Covenant Israel from Jerusalem to Rome and from Yahuwah as the true Almighty, to the Pope and his papal cohorts as false lords, who became hirelings over a separate flock. Isaiah 56:3-8 strictly and soberly warns all believers in Yahuwah, NOT TO DISOBEY YAHUWAH’S GRACE BY FORMING A SEPARATE ENTITY OF ANY KIND, especially one so anti-nomian, anti-Semitic and Judeophobic, as the current ecclesiastical church system.

It is amazing that the ancient sages of Israel, quickly picked up on the fact, that some of returning Ephraim/Israel, along with some non-Israelites (his companions), would not be satisfied with being regrafted back into remnant and returning Israel. They foresaw that many of those returning would, out of open acts of self will and self rule, leave the olive tree that Yahuwah planted (Jeremiah 11:16-17), in favor of a dry tree, full of paganism and without any life to sustain it! According to Isaiah 56:3, this separation results in total spiritual dryness and depravity! Much of this separation was Ephraim’s desire to replace his brother Judah as the only Israel (replacement theology) and to avoid living in harmony with him.

As previously mentioned according to the rabbis, the ten tribes wound up in primarily three places. First, beyond the Sambation River, second, under the clouds of darkness and third, in Daphne of Antioch. Abraham Polok in his studies, says that the post-exilic Jewish writers referred to the Don River as the Sambation River. The Greeks also called the Don River the "Sambation" or river of Sabbath. The area beyond, or north of the Sambation River became Scythe-Israelite territory, which included Sakkiz the Scythian capital, named after Isaac! From the river, all the way north to south Russia and west Asia, the lost Israelites migrated and settled in droves, which according to Josephus, "were an innumerable multitude", thus fulfilling the promise of physical multiplicity to all the patriarchs by the time of Messiah Yahshua. The second place of exile according to the rabbis, was an area covered by dark clouds. The midrash Olam Rabah (Great Universe) 17:16, says that "part of the exiled House of Joseph, went to mountains of deep darkness."

Rashi himself identifies these mountains as the mountains of Mannae (named after wilderness Manna ), while others equated them with the nearby Caucasus Mountains. This dark mountainous area is due north of the Sambition River and Israel proper. In this area of mountainous darkness, the ten tribes who were exiled, emerged briefly thereafter as the Scythians, Goths and Cimmerians, named after Samaria the fallen northern capital.

Homer the Greek poet stated "the Cimmerians live in the deep sea of Oceanos (Atlantic), which is the world’s boundary, where night is forever spread over these unhappy mortals." Homer attributed the Cimmerians, who lived under darkness, to have moved to the shores of the Atlantic and Orphic Argonautica ca. 500 BC, thus placing them in the British Isles after migrating from the mountains of darkness. "The Cimmerians were hidden from the sun rising by the mountains of Ripaeus in Britain near the vicinity of Hades", according to Homer! In other words, mountain darkness followed them regardless of where they migrated!!

From the initial mountains of darkness, the tribes migrated a little further east into Daphne or Asia. This Antioch in Syria (Asia), was the first city where lost Ephraimites were called Christians (Acts 11:26). Antioch was teeming with Ephraimites at the time of the Shaliach Shaul. Antioch, though on the Syrian coast, was considered part of greater Israel and thus part of the promised land. Therefore the Israelite prisoners taken there, were not really exiled but merely relocated there for later exile. Obviously, many remained there and got saved there. These early Messianic believers had children and multiplied. Thus the early believing community was filled with the offspring of these Antioch /Ephraimite believers! 2000 years later, many of those descended directly from the early believers and apostles are still with us as believers! These Israelites have multiplied over two millennia and have settled comfortably into the body of Yahshua!

Daphne was a city within a city or within Antioch of Syria. Another Daphne was once the center of the tribe of Dan in the Galilee. The site of the golden calf in Dan, was also called Daphne. Chaim Bar Derma, an Israeli scholar, said in 1958 "that the ancient Israelites under David and Solomon, controlled the entire Middle East, including Syria and the city of Antioch." Daphne of Antioch was a long held city of Israel and thus became a major area of resettlement for the House of Joseph. Thus we see that the early Jewish sages knew exactly where Joseph’s seed was and it was a matter of lament, rather than a matter of mystery!

Isn’t it amazing how we of Messianic Judah can become so focused on how to keep a kosher home and raise up a culturally Jewish family, that we forget the weightier matters of the Torah, such as justice, equality and mercy towards Ephraim! True faith in the Scriptures will teach us the same things they taught our ancient sages about the House of Joseph.

Would to Yahuwah that Messianic Judaism should take its collective head out of the sand and look for Ephraim, before concocting and perpetuating a make believe fairy tale entitled "The Reunion That Took Place In The Village Of Anatevkah In The Days Of King Josiah." The rabbis of our Jewish nation did not for one single minute, put up with that folly and neither will this author. We have never been FULLY reconstituted as a united 12 tribe theocracy since the days of Solomon and it is for that reason that we trust and need Yahshua to do just that. We have not missed the reunion of our people as some teach, because the reunion did not begin until Yahshua was anointed at the age of thirty and has continued ever so slowly until this very day. Josephus the Jewish historian, who was a contemporary of Messiah Yahshua said "the ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates River till now and are an immense multitude, not to be estimated in numbers." From Josephus we learn that the supposed reconstitution of all Israel under the Josiah Revival around 600 BC, is a religious myth propagated by those who would rather wish Ephraim away, than have to deal with him! According to Josephus the ten tribes were still in exile, 600 years after the King Josiah Revival! From Josephus, we further learn that it was common knowledge that the patriarchal promise of physical multiplicity was already being fulfilled through the ten tribes, not through tiny Judah!

The Josiah Revival was primarily a Jewish revival, with all Israel (12 tribes) well represented, but not in full attendance (Second Chronicles 35:17-18)! The Ephraimites who did not live in the land, but who did in fact attend, were Scythians from the north who did not eat swine, loathed idolatry, kept Shabbat and other Israelite customs. Yahuwah spoke of these Scythians or exiled Israelites 150 years after their exile. He declared via Jeremiah the prophet, in chapter 3 verses 11-12, that the House Of Israel, though backslidden, was doing better (150 years after exile) than Judah just 70 years after The King Josiah Revival! In Jeremiah 3:12, Yahuwah tells these Scythians to return fully and receive full grace! Yahuwah gives Jeremiah an inspired word for exiled Israel 150 years after they supposedly disappeared, or 70 years after they supposedly rejoined Judah. We see that this cannot be so, since Yahuwah told Jeremiah that Israel, though in exile (not lost), is doing better then Judah.

These sons of Isaac (Scythians), while decisively defeating Assyria and Persia in major battles (ca 600 BC), left Judah intact because of their recognition that Judah was their tribal brother. These Scythians are the same ones joining Josiah for Passover!

From the original Ephraimites of the north, none stayed in the land and remained (Second Kings 17:18). Therefore, the Ephraimites spoken of in Second Chronicles 35:17-18, were returning Israelites who had become known as Scythians. Having this understanding, we see that there is no contradiction between the aforementioned verses and Second Kings 17:18 in which Yahuwah did not allow any Israelites in northern Israel to avoid exile! These Ephraimites in the King Josiah Revival, were` simply returning as Scythian/Israelites and therefore agreed to join King Josiah!

Rav Shaul (Paul), recognized the Scythians as lost Israelites in Colossians 3:11, where he favorably contrasted them to barbarians! The Greek word translated barbarians in Colossians 3:11, is actually foreigners. Thus he compared foreigners to non-foreigners or Scythians. Rav Shaul knew that the Scythians were not foreigners when it came to the Jewish people! This truth appeared in Scripture later (600 years later), when he wrote Colossians from a prison cell. Why don’t we know these things?

The great and brilliant 19^th century Hebrew Christian scholar, Alfred Edersheim wrote, "The great mass of the ten tribes WAS IN THE DAYS OF MESSIAH, AS OUR OWN, LOST TO THE HEBREW NATION." Edersheim’s comment reinforces the truth that the final two-stick reunion, is totally eschatological and that it did not take place in the days of, or in the days prior to Messiah Yahshua! In his study on rabbinical thought regarding the House Of Joseph, Edersheim further stated, "as regards to the ten tribes, there is this truth underlying. That as their persistent apostasy from the Elohim of Israel and His worship had cut them off from His people, so the fulfillment of the Divine promises to them in the latter days, would imply as it were a second birth (born again experience), to make them once more Israel!!!"

Instead of looking at the House of Joseph as the enemy of our exclusive claim to being chosen, we must look at him even as did our patriarchal father Jacob (Gen. 30:25). What difference did the birth and manifestation of Joseph and his house make to the patriarch? According to Rabbi Schmuel Ben Nachmani, it made a world of difference. In Talmud Baba Batra 123:B, Rabbi Schmuel said "Jacob our forefather saw that the seed of Esau is not destined to be delivered into the hands of anyone (including Judah), save Joseph, as it says in Obadiah 1:18. "The House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame and the house of Esau for stubble." Obadiah 1:18-19 and Isaiah 11:14-15, teach in the simplest possible terms, that the Jewish people will never ever conquer the Palestinians, Arabs, Edomites and sons of Esau, until they are reunited with one heart, one Spirit and one accord, into one massive army, through the reconciliation of Jewish Israel with non-Jewish Israel. As long as we do not recognize this victorious equation for spiritual and military alliance, as did Jacob, as did Rabbi Schmuel and as in some respects does the government of the State Of Israel, we (believers) will continue to struggle and fight ourselves, over the question of who is the real Israel, instead of both camps recognizing the other house as also being legitimate heirs in Israel!

Only a reunited Israel in these final last days of humanity, will be able to overthrow the nefarious forces of Islam. This can become a reality in our lifetime! Islam cannot stand against a united Israel, for greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. According to Yair Davidy, Nazi Germany and other German governments, considered the ten lost tribes to be part of their apocalyptic enemies, all the while embracing the sons of Esau. We must never make that same mistake as they did. We must look upon them (Ephraim in our midst), with great favor and grant them the recognition they deserve, so that they can take their rightful place in national Israel as physical Spirit-filled co-heirs, who are willing to join in military and spiritual warfare operations against Israel’s historic enemies. We will receive the consolation of Jacob, only when we preserve the REVELATION OF JACOB, found in Genesis 30:25!

With a reunified Israel, the Middle East problem will end according to Scripture, when the west, along with all Israel, puts the Palestinians on airplanes and sends them away. Isaiah 11:14 in its most literal translation reads "THEY SHALL FLY THE PHILISTINES AWAY WESTWARD!" Those in Messianic Judah who in ignorance fight the two-house restoration, are actually postponing the inevitable Israelite victory over our enemies. Instead of worrying solely about learning Hebrew and keeping kosher, Messianic Judaism should be concerned with victory. Biblical victory can only be achieved by a reunified two-house, two front (spiritual and military) solution, to the Arab-Israeli conflict (Obadiah 1:18)!

Davidy explains that the sages taught that Obadiah 1:20, was best translated and understood as follows:

"This first exile (of the ten tribes), would reach from the land of the Cannanites (Germany), to Zarapheth (France and Britain)." The Hebrew word in Obadiah 1:20, translated as host, is better understood as first. The first of exiled Ephraim, were positioned to go into Europe through the land known today as Germany, to France and to Great Britain. Historically this is exactly what transpired! This was the belief of the great Don Isaac Ben Yehudah Abarbanel (1437-1508) the great Spanish Jew, who stood up to the King and Queen during the Spanish Inquisition.

How come the noble scribes like Abarbanel, DID NOT CONSIDER EPHRAIM LOST? Both Christianity and Messianic Judaism, have much truth to learn in the years of restoration that lie ahead. In Rashi’s commentary on Obadiah 1:20, he states that "Zarapheth is the kingdom of France." Rashi, the hallowed commentator states that the lost ten tribes of Israel are in France!! This conclusion of Rashi, is fully backed up by another legendary Jewish commentator, Iben Ezra (1080-1164), born in Toledo Spain, who visited many of the lost tribes of Israel in his lifetime. Iben Ezra stated that "Zarapheth is France!" Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman, known as Ramban, commented on Obadiah 1:20, "the vision of Obadiah is the House of Joseph and refers to the ten tribes, who are exiled and STILL ARE IN THEIR PLACE OF EXILE, the exile of Zarapheth and Canaan." In 1270 AD Ramban said that the ten tribes had not returned!!

Messianic Judaism teaches that tiny, 16 million-member Judah today, IS THE REUNIFICATION OF ALL ISRAEL. Whose report will you believe? Will you believe the report of the rabbis based on the book of Obadiah, or the party line reaction of manmade steering committees, operating through a spirit of fear and exclusivity? We see how foolish is the claim that the ten tribes already returned in the past. It is biblically, logically and historically, an indefensible position! No wonder we as Messianic leaders are often ridiculed, due to our lack of schooling and training in some of the most foundational areas of our precious Jewish faith!

Perhaps the most breath taking pronouncement regarding Obadiah 1:20, is found in the writings of the previously mentioned Don Isaac Abarbanel. He said "Zarapheth is France and so too the exile of Sepherad (verse 20 B) is Spain! Do not err just because Zarapheth (France is spoken of and Angleterre (England), is not recalled (in this verse). For there too (England), did the exiles go, for lo and behold that island is considered a part of Zarapheth (France) and in the beginning belonged to it and in their ancient books they call it the isles of Zarapheth (the isles of France), even though it later separated itself from Zarapheth (France) and became a kingdom (England) in its own right."

In another similar startling admission Don Isaac Abarbanel admits to thousands of Ephraimites being in pain, because of their punishment of living like gentiles among the gentiles. He said, "And maybe the intention is too, that those children of Israel, who completely left religion (Hebraic), due to the weight of troubles and persecutions, remain in Spain in their thousands and TENS OF THOUSANDS (Deut. 33:17-18), IN HUGE COMMUNITIES. They shall return and request the Lord their Elohim". Abarbanel, a Hebrew and CHRISTIAN scholar echoes the same commentary in another portion of his work, on the book of First Kings.17:9, where he insists that Zarapeth includes France and Great Britain. The term thousands (Manasseh) and ten thousands (Ephraim) that Abarbanel used, are a direct quote from Torah in Deuteronomy 33:17-18.

As many already know "British" means covenant of man, or covenant man and "Union Jack" means, the Commonwealth or Union of Jacob. While these great sages may not have had every detail of Israel’s restoration at hand, they had enough evidence from the plain reading and study of Scripture, to conclude beyond any reasonable doubt, that the exiles of the ten tribes of Ephraim in numerous droves, settled in the west (Europe and the Americas). Thus many of those we mistakenly refer to as Morannos or Conversos who became Christians or Catholics, are in fact Ephraimites as well as Judahites. These Conversos are not as popularly understood made up solely of converted Jews. Rather the Conversos and Morannos are made up of converted Israelites and Judahites from both houses!

Another identifying mark of Ephraim/Israel according to the sages of Israel, is that in the last days the returning Israelites will unfortunately have certain pagan characteristics. According to Isaiah 66:17, there are biological Israelites who separated themselves from Israel into a separate people. They are characterized by a disdain for kashrut and Torah (verse 18) and the general dislike of Jews. Despite this perversion of Torah, Yahuwah declared in Isaiah 66:18 that nevertheless, by sheer grace, He will reveal his glory to them. We know in light of the Brit Chadashah, that this took place through the person of Yahshua the Messiah, who reaffirmed that He was sent to the swine eating, Shabbat breaking, anti-nomian "lost sheep of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL!"

Verse 19 of Isaiah 66 teaches that Yahshua would send His talmidim to the coastlands of the nations as well as Spain (Tarshish) and Europe (Tubal), to share the report of the manifest glory of Yahuwah in the face of His Son Yahshua. Verse 19 also reminds us, that these lost Israelites will return to Jerusalem from the coastlands (British Isles and their colonies). These returnees are called the brothers of Judah in verse 20. Yahuwah says in Isaiah 66 verse 21 that from returning Israel, He will take priests to function as Levites, though not biologically descended from that tribe. We know from Scripture in First Keefa (Peter) 2:9, that Peter talks about all born again believers being royal priests to Yahuwah! These priests will minister to Yahuwah, right into the earthly millennium (Isaiah 66: 22, 23).

In the course of time the former northern territory of the land of Israel became known as Samaria, and the occupants of that land as Samaritans, who were a mixed breed of Ephraimite food growing landowners and Assyrian colonists. Many scriptures prophetically speak of a future day in Messianic times during which these same mountains of Samaria will be inhabited by notzrim. These prophetic scriptures reveal the glorious plan of the Father, to turn these idolatrous territories into one of the future home bases of the notzrim of Israel. The word notzrim speaks of watchmen appointed by Yahuwah and assigned to the task of watching over the restoration of all Israel. Scripture talks about the Mountains of Ephraim (Samaria), that will produce the watchmen of the last days.

The Samaritans believed at one time, that Joshua son of Nun was their founder and the son of God. It was natural then, that when true revival broke out in Samaria in John chapter 4 and Acts chapter 8, that the early Samaritan believers would have a lot of religious and idolatrous baggage that would be brought into the Messianic faith!

Unfortunately, this amalgamation of Messianic faith with the profane has been a terminal condition in Ephraim to this day. The Samaritans are credited with originating the heretical Christian sect and doctrine of Gnosticism. The Gnostics were notoriously anti-Jewish and anti-Torah. They loathed anything in the physical realm, believing all physical matter to be inherently evil. History teaches that the Ephraimite/Samaritan man named Simon Magus, found in Acts 8:5-25, became a early Gnostic leader after practicing sorcery and in essence became the first Gnostic Pope in Rome, even before Constantine!

We can see the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that were so prevalent in Israel before 721 BC, lodging in almost identical manner within the separate entity known as the "Christian Church." Matthew chapter 13 includes seven parables taught by Yahshua Himself, about the complete leavening of the Kingdom, as it would evolve into the separate entity called "The Church". Read it for yourself and weep! Unfortunately, this behavioral manifestation of the spirit of Jeroboam (First Kings 12: 25-33), is a telltale sign that most Christians are in fact the redeemed remnant of the House of Joseph. Like father like son!

Isaiah 65:11 is a condemnation of apostate Ephraim/Israel who were being removed from Israel, due to their penchant for forsaking Yahuwah, his holy mountain, his provision, and exchanging those things for gods of fortune, destiny, luck and a pantheon of super-heroes. The word "Gad," used in the original Hebrew of this verse, is a generic term for any and all man-made deities. It was Ephraim’s exile throughout the globe, that caused them to carry and proliferate the concept of "Gad" or "God" throughout the pagan world.

Bill Burton, in his Study of The Separated (Holy) Name, documents the definition of "God" as found in several well-known reference works. The consensus of most reliable sources is that "God" came into the English language by way of the Teutonic dialects. He explains that the term "God" was originally used to refer to Teutonic pagan deities. There is hardly a known language today that does not use some form of "God," in place of the sacred, true, eternal redemptive Name of Almighty Yahuwah! How tragic!

These statements are not to be misconstrued as a blanket condemnation of all forms of Christianity. The example of the origin of "God", is one of many examples of paganism that was assimilated into the brand of Christianity that developed in Europe. Since Europe was the area of settlement for numerous exiled Ephraimites, it follows that the early European Christians exhibited many of the same behaviors as ancient Ephraim/Israel, prior to their conversion to popery and its various deviations. One can only imagine and lament as to how many non-Jewish Israelites, are to be found today in the Roman Catholic Church. Yahuwah help us!

The early Samaritans as well as many apostate Jews, worshipped Tammuz (Ezekial 8:14) the Babylonian god as El Elyon, a title reserved for Yahuwah. Now we understand why Ezekial 37:22-23 talks about Yahuwah, through the Greater David (Yahshua), cleansing Joseph and Judah from all their detestable habits and disgusting behaviors! We see the need for both houses to experience total cleansing and sinless perfection through Yahshua, before being fully restored to Yahuwah and to the land of our fathers. Scriptures like Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 60:21, and Jeremiah 31:6, all make reference to the notzrim of Israel, or the notzrim of Ephraim! Christians were called notzrim or "preserved ones", by outsiders as well as by the believers themselves. Notzrim is still one of the main Hebrew words used today for Christians! The identical term is used at various times for both Ephraim/Israel as well as Christian believers in Yahshua! Today, when one suggests to Messianic Jewish leadership that notzrim is the term used for Christians in Hebrew, as well as the name given to preserved individuals from Ephraim who make up the former House of Israel, they often disdain this notion, with ridicule and laughter.

The sages of our Jewish people, however took a different approach to the former Ephraimites showing up as the latter day notzrim or Christians. Yehonatan, Rashi, Radak and many others, all state that the term Notzri Yisrael is synonymous with Christians!!

Listen to the luminous Don Isaac Abarbanel: "The prophet (Jeremiah), foresaw through divine inspiration, that the ROMAN DESCENDENTS OF EDOM (Constantine, Augustine, Origen and some early church fathers?), would believe in that faith (European paganism) and therefore would be called notzrim." Don Abarbanel in the most vivid terms possible, interprets the terms notzrim as referring to the founding fathers of the European Roman Church system, who unfortunately were made up of many very lost Ephraimites and Edomites.

An interesting question must be asked at this point. Do the more modern traditional rabbis, or those from the last several hundred years, agree with the two-house conclusions of the former rabbis (CE 1000-1300)? Or, do they, like most modern Messianic Jewish rabbis, scream "replacement theology!" when presented with the scriptural and historical facts? Rabbi Zvi Kalisher in his book Am Habonim Smaycha said "Judah will first return to Israel and prepare the land, so that it will ultimately be able to support a great community. Then part of the lost ten tribes will return and together with the Jews build the Third Temple. Once the temple is rebuilt, the remainder and numerically greater part of the lost ten tribes WILL ALSO COME BACK, WHEN (SUFFERING) MESSIAH SON OF JOSEPH APPEARS and reigns in Jerusalem. Then all Israel will hallow THE NAME of Elohim (Yahuwah) and all will worship Him in one tongue-Hebrew!" Here is a traditional rabbi, who ties in the two-house restoration of Israel with the appearing of Messiah Ben Yosef, the suffering dying Messiah of Israel, coming to reign! If Yahshua is Messiah Ben Yosef, then both houses are being reunited by Him. The reunion commenced at His first appearing, with the ultimate accelerated phase to be gloriously completed at His reappearance in Jerusalem on clouds of glory!

Rabbi Kalisher lived in Russia (1795-1874) and spoke a great deal about Zionism. Rabbi Kalisher also commented on Isaiah 56:8, "This verse applies to those who were lost in the land of Assyria (Isaiah 27:13), from the lost ten tribes and were perishing (in their identity), that they will be regathered." With tremendous insight into this two-house restoration, Rabbi Kalisher wrote "if a great community of those who were lost in the Assyrian exile would be gathered in first of all, how could they be brought to a wasted and desolate country? Without doubt they will have to be preceded (by their brothers in Judah), in order that the land may bring forth bread. Afterwards all of them will be able to come to a country full of Elohim’s blessings. The wilderness shall be a fruitful field (Isaiah 35:1-2), full of fields and vineyards, restored by the hand of Israelites and so the prophet Hosea predicted."

He went on to say, "So Judah has set a harvest for you, when I returned the captivity of my people (Hosea 6:11)." According to Rabbi Kalisher, the two-house restoration of Israel and Judah, will result in the Hebrew language once again becoming the international language of the globe (Zaphaniah 3:9). We see the start of that with Judah returning. When Ephraim returns in great numbers, that proliferation of the Hebrew language will greatly accelerate and encompass the globe, replacing English as the international language.

Davidy refers to two contemporary rabbis, Dressler and Feld, who are both alive today. They both state that the reason that Yahuwah did not allow the temple to be rebuilt by Judah in the 1967 recapture of Jerusalem, is because the tribes of Joseph (USA and Britain), did not have a Zionist movement of their own in that direction. These two influential rabbis conclude by saying "Judah needs participation of the lost ten tribes of Israel, in order for Hashem to allow the rebuilding of the third temple."

The movement to watch carefully right now is the Christian Zionist movement, which in actual fact contains large numbers of Ephraim/Israel! Christian Zionists long to return home. While the modern State of Israel generally does not take kindly to Messianic Jews, they openly welcome Christian Zionists, their monies and their tourist pilgrims, with open arms. This is no doubt a major first step to full restoration! Ephraim is to be regrafted back into the Olive Tree of Israel which they left in voluntary rebellion some 2000 years ago, to chase the Roman Pontiff and her crusading harlot daughters. In our time we see the literal fulfillment of Acts 3:20-21, the promised restoration of all things pertaining to Israel, spoken of by the (Israel’s) prophets!

Ephraim (much of Christian Zionism), would not even be attracted to the land of Israel, if there had been no Jewish/Israelite presence preceding them in Israel. Isn’t it amazing that the major supporters of Gershom Solomon and the dedicated and persecuted Temple Mount Faithful, are primarily Ephraimites (many Christian Zionists), not traditional Jews and not traditional Christians. As Rav Shaul reminds us in Romans 9:6, they are not all Israel who claim to be Israel. ONLY A REDEEMED, RUACH QUICKENED BORN AGAIN REMNANT FROM BOTH HOUSES, WILL BE THE FORERUNNING CATALYSTS, IN THE FULLNESS OF THE FATHER’S PLAN, FOR THE RESTORATION OF ALL ISRAEL!!!

Scripture so beautifully outlines, the exciting days in which we live in Jeremiah 3:18. "In those days the house of Yehudah shall all walk with the House of Israel and they shall COME TOGETHER out of the land of the North (Russia, Asia, Asia Minor), to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto their fathers." Regarding the future restoration and redemption of all Israel, the midrash Yalkut Shimeoni on Song of Solomon 1:16 states, "The ten tribes who are exiled beyond the river, are they whom the exiled of Judah and Benjamin are destined to go and to bring back, to merit with Judah, the Days of the Messiah (Yahshua) and life in the world to come." The rabbis are telling us that Judahites (Jewish disciples), will be sent by Yahuwah himself (Yahshua), to go out and find and bring back the ten tribes, so that they too can merit and enjoy the days of Messiah and the world to come. We see this rabbinical teaching so beautifully followed in the fulfillment of Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission followed Yahshua’s personally outlined treasure map on exactly where to preach the Gospel, so as to find the lost sheep of all Israel. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria (Ephraim) and the outermost parts of the earth was the direction that Yahshua outlined.

Praise be to Almighty Yahshua, that for the last 2000 years millions of lost sheep have returned. They will merit the days of Messiah and the millennial rule to come (olam habah), where both houses will enjoy the rebuilt Tabernacle Of David, the rebuilt temple and the rebuilt city that both worked so very hard and so very long to rebuild.

We must not fall into the trap of the two disciples on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24), who temporarily gave up on Yahshua’s Messiahship because they thought it would be He who was the one to restore and usher in Israel’s consolation immediately in their day. Perhaps we must patiently wait for His return, for the two sticks of Ezekial 37 to be fully restored. Nevertheless, rest assured that Israel’s full, final and glorious consolation, will take place only through Messiah Yahshua, Yahuwah’s only begotten Son, the only and final Hope of all Israel for all times.