The Birthright Part 3

THE BIRTHRIGHT: PART 3

 

When the northern nation of Israel was conquered and deported by the Assyrians the people were considered lost because they were not identified by their usual names of Israel or the name of a tribe.  This concept of lost-ness is prophetic although Jesus knew their location and sent his disciples as missionaries as will be shown later.

Deuteronomy 32:26 KJV  I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:

The beginning of Hosea relates that God will have tribal Israel deposed (dispersed), divorced from God, scattered without mercy, and will no longer be the people of God or the wife of God.  Immediately after the condemnation, it is announced that Israel, in the future, would be regathered and appoint themselves one head (Jesus the King) rather than two separate nations with two kings.  The prophet also stated that Israel, while dispersed, would greatly increase in population (shall be as the sand of the sea).

Hosea 1:10-11 KJV  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.  (11)  Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea was told to marry a woman of ill repute (a whore).  A son was born named Jezreel, which was also the name of a valley in northern Israel.  Its Hebrew meaning is “to scatter and God sows”.  The people of Israel were scattered but they were also sown as seed which created a large population.  Abraham was promised that his seed would be as the “sand of the sea” and that prophecy has been fulfilled with the population of Israel “as the sand of the sea”.

Two Clay Vessels

Israel is compared to a wet clay pot during the process of formation.  If the potter is unhappy with the shape and look of the vessel then it can we easily reworked to another form because the clay is moist, plyable and reshapable.  The nation of Israel will be reshaped and plyed to the will of God to be prepared as the future bride of Christ (legally, a divorced husband and wife can remarry without sin if no other alliances were made in the meantime).

Jeremiah 18:6 NET  "I, the LORD, say: 'O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter's hand.'

On the southern side of the border, Judah is compared to a cured dry vessel which is to be broken into pieces with no chance of repair or reshaping.  This prophecy was delivered to the Judeans just prior to the Babylonian invasion, however it must also be a long term prophecy with dual fulfillments.  The Judeans returned to the land after 70 years of captivity but were destroyed and scattered in 70 AD.  In 1948 Israel became an illegal nation with an illegal name, from the standpoint of God and the birthright.  They are yet to be completely broken as was the cured pottery through Jeremiah.  As the wet clay prophecy concerns the dispersed northern Israel after the wrath of God, so does the cured pottery prophecy pertain to the Judeans/Edomites of the current nation of Israel as well.

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Jeremiah 19:10-11 NET  The LORD continued, "Now break the jar in front of those who have come here with you.  (11)  Tell them the LORD who rules over all says, 'I will do just as Jeremiah has done. I will smash this nation and this city as though it were a potter's vessel which is broken beyond repair. The dead will be buried here in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.'

Topheth is the valley of the son of Hinnom or Gehenna, as referenced by Jesus.

Merrill Unger Testimony

The Unger snippet below indicates that Assyria associated northern Israel with the former King, Omri.  Thus the Assyrian records name the Israel people as Bit-Humri translated as House of Omni.

Merrill Unger - Archeology and the Old Testament, page 243

The initial contact between Israel and Assyria evidently occurred during Omri’s day, for from that time on Israel appears in cuneiform records as Bit-Humri (‘ House of Omri’). This official appelation was applied to Samaria, the capital city. Moreover, the designation of an Israelite King became Mar Humri (‘ son,’ i.e., ‘royal successor of Omri’). Tiglath Pileser III’s reference to the land of Israel over a century later by its official name Bit Humria evidences the significance of Omri as a ruler in the history of Israel.

Although thename “Omni” is an English spelling and pronunciation the Hebrew pronunciation was “Ghomri” and later as “Khumri”.  The Welch people of today continue to identify with their ancient name of “Khumri”.

The name “Gimirri” was once considered by Bible scholars as an identification of Gomer, a descendant of Japheth, rather than “Ghomri” (Omri).  At the library excavated in Nineveh it was discovered that “Gimirri” is associated with “Ghomri”.  As a side note, the name Gomer, was the name of the harlot wife of Hosea and it was he who prophesied to northern Israel.  Therefore the Ghomri-Gimirri were people of northern Israel.

A.E. Harkavy Testimony

As the population of the displaced people of Israel grew in number they began to migrate from the area south of the Caucasus mountains between the Black and Caspian Seas toward the north and west through modern Turkey into Europe.  Many traveled to Europe through the Caucasus into the Crimean peninsula.  Their stay in the Caucasus area the name of Caucasians was applied to them.  Some tombstones have been discovered in Crimea with Israelite origins.  One tombstone epitaph reads as follows:

From Secrets of Time by Dr. Stephen Jones and borrowed from A.E. Harkavy – Academia Scientiarum Imperialis Memoires Vol. 24, #1, p. 9

I, Jehuda ben Mose ha Nagolon, of the East country, ben Jehuda ha-Gibbor of the tribe of Naphtali, of the generation Schillem, who went into exile with the exiles who were driven away with Hosea, the king of Israel, together with the tribes of Simeon and Dan and some of the generations of the other tribes of Israel, which (all) were led into exile by the enemy Shalmanezer from Schomron and their cities to Chalach, that is, Baclack and to Chabar, that is, Chabul and to Hara, that is, Herat, and to Gosan, that is, Gozna, the cities of the exiled tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh, etc.

Josephus Testimony

Josephus wrote his historical works shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  According to some of his writings, information concerning the tribes of Israel were known either during of right after the time of the apostles.

Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews, XI, v 2

Wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans; while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now; and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.

New Testament Testimony

James specifically addresses natives of northern Israel as the twelve tribes dispersed abroad.  Peter addresses those temporarily residing abroad and is not as specific as James.  However, he does name them as chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and as being set apart by the Spirit.  It is doubtful he would send this acknowledgment to anyone other than the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

James 1:1 NET  From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings!

1 Peter 1:1-2 NET  From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing abroad (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia) who are chosen  (2)  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ's blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure!

As noted above, there are many historical writings and examples concerning the location of the so-called “lost tribes” of Israel.  If you live in the USA, northern and western Europe, most of Russia, Canada, Australia, and various British colonial countries the lost tribe member may be you and your next door neighbor.  The British flag called the “Union Jack” is a shortened form of Jacob.  The tribe of Joseph became two distinct tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and the USA and Canada are two related but separate countries.  The International Peace Arch on the USA-Canadian border reads:  “Children of a common mother” and “Brethren dwelling together in unity”.  This recognizes the two sons of Joseph born of the same mother.  These sons were given the birthright of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  The Caucasian parts of the world became the seed ground for Christianity (although all can believe and be adopted).  It was the plan of God for the Gospel of Jesus Christ go first to them and they would preach it to everyone else. 

Some find it astonishing, including me, with all the historical information available that so-called top of the line Bible teachers, commentators, preachers, and expositors deny the facts of Israel’s location and many merely ignore the information.  Their enthusiasm (or should I say fanaticism) to grant the current state of Israel the title of the restoration of the twelve tribes is understandable but unbelievable.  Even Jesus acknowledges the existence of the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” in Matthew 10:6.  Do Bible teachers read this verse and consider the lost sheep to be in northern Samaria?  Apparently Jesus knew exactly where they were located and sent the twelve disciples to give them the news of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 10:5-6 NET  Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: "Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan town.  (6)  Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

The book mentioned earlier entitled, The Tribes by Yair Davidy is extremely valuable in that Jewish scholars are admitting and recognizing that most of western and northern Europe were populated by the so-called “lost tribes” of Israel.  Some scholars believe the Jews have known these facts for quite a time but have failed to make it widely public for some unknown reason other than possibly energizing the evangelical movement and changing the sentiment and monetary support they provide.

Summary

The ten tribes of northern Israel were originally led captive to an area around modern southeastern Turkey.  From there, they migrated into the Caucasus area between the Black and Caspian Seas.  As the population greatly expanded they migrated north and west toward Europe although some apparently went into the Russian area.  Many kept moving into Scandinavia, England, France, and the area between current Belgium and the Ukraine.  Many of the Danites appear to have migrated into southern Greece and then into Germany prior to the Assyrian invasion. Other Danites became part of the migrations of the ten tribes mentioned above.

Prior to their big migration, Jesus and the apostles knew they were in the southeast Turkey, northern Syria, and lower Caucasus area.  The apostles traveled there to them and gave them the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Modern book writers calling themselves Bible teachers reject or deny the existence and the verifying evidence concerning the ten tribes.  They continue to maintain that the current state of Israel is an amalgamated collection of all the tribes and that “British Israelism” is a myth concocted by conspiracy theorists and Israel haters.  The birthright promise of Ephraim and Manasseh, which includes all of the ten tribes, is extremely important to the fulfillment of prophecy and the plan of God.  Jesus, as the King of the Kingdom, was warranted to ascend to heaven so that He could repair the breach between all twelve tribes and ultimately His Kingdom.  His first coming was as the Lion of the tribe of Judah to secure His Messianic throne rights as the King.  His second coming, among other things, will be to secure His birthright as the King of the Kingdom.  This is not a minor concept, but rather it is the main central theme of the entire Bible and history.