HOSEA AND THE TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL
The Ten Tribes
of Israel
The northern nation of Israel containing the 10 tribes defected
from King Rohoboam after the death of Solomon and were deported by the
Assyrians beginning in 745 BC. It has been
widely assumed by many Bible teachers and commentators that the majority
returned to the land at different times and were present during the 1st
century days of Jesus and also of today, calling themselves Jews.
Other historians and Biblical researchers have determined
they did not return but migrated north through the Black and Caspian seas into
Eastern Europe and then migrated into Western and Northern Europe. During the 1st century days of
Jesus and the apostles, the location of the ten tribes was considered to be
known where they witnessed a tremendous increase in population. Some consider they developed into the Scythians
and others even believe they were the progenitors and primary people of the
Parthian Empire.
The Parthians rivaled the Roman Empire in power and
size. The magnitude of the Parthian’s ruler
ship extended from the Euphrates river to India from 64 BC to 225 AD.
The Euphrates river was usually the recognized border
between the Parthian Empire and the Roman Empire. Thus, Josephus records that
the ten tribes of Israel lived beyond this Roman Empire border in Parthia.
The Magi
The origin of the Magi is thought to be either Babylon or
Persia. At the birth of Christ the Parthians
had taken over the area of Persia, now known as Iran, and it seems possible the
educated of the Israel tribes would desire to see, honor, and worship the Messiah. The number of the Magi range from 3 to
12. If they were a powerful class of
Parthian nobility, they were probably accompanied by a number of troops to
guard their merchandise and gifts for the King of Judah. Matthew 2:3 tells us that not only King
Herod, but "all Jerusalem" was troubled by this visit.
Matthew 2:3 KJV When Herod
the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Hosea
The life of Hosea, the prophet, is a symbolic
representation of the destiny of the house of Israel (the northern 10 tribes). He was directed by God to marry a prostitute
named Gomer (the same name as the oldest son of Japheth). This union produces three children: Jezreel, meaning “God scatters”; a daughter,
Lo-ruhamah, meaning “not more mercy”; and a second son, Lo-ammi, meaning “not
my people”.
Hosea 1:4, 6, 9 KJV And the
LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will
avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the
kingdom of the house of Israel. 6) And she conceived again, and bare a
daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more
have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 9)
Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not
be your God.
Hosea, chapter 2, is a judgment of God against the tribes
of Israel, whereby, Israel as the wife of God is divorced by God due to their
spiritual adultery.
Hosea 2:2 KJV Plead with
your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her
therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from
between her breasts;
The first son named Jezreel, which means “God scatters”
is a symbolic representation of the coming scattering of the tribes of Israel
which will occur by the hand of the Assyrians.
Hosea 1:4 prophecies the kingdom of the house of Israel will cease. This may be another reason the current nation
of Israel is using an unlawful name in the mind and edicts of God.
Hosea 1:4 KJV And the LORD
said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge
the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the
kingdom of the house of Israel.
Lo-ruhamah, the daughter and second child, means “no more
mercy” which validates the conquering, slaughter, and deportation of the tribes
of Israel by the Assyrians approximately a century after the prophecy was given.
Two centuries later, Jeremiah speaks of this divorce.
Jeremiah 3:8-9 KJV And I
saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I
had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister
Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. (9)
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she
defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Jeremiah then prophecies that God will bring the nation
of Israel back to the land of Zion. Of
course, this will occur in the future of the Millennium with the descendants
(Church people) of the ten tribes of Israel.
Jeremiah 3:12-14 KJV Go and
proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding
Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I
am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. (13)
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the
LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green
tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. (14)
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you:
and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to
Zion:
The prophet Hosea also speaks of the reuniting of God
with Israel.
Hosea 2:14-16 NET However,
in the future I will allure her; I will lead her back into the wilderness, and
speak tenderly to her. (15) From there I will give back her vineyards to
her, and turn the "Valley of Trouble" into an "Opportunity for
Hope." There she will sing as she did when she was young, when she came up
from the land of Egypt. (16) "At that time," declares the LORD,
"you will call, 'My husband'; you will never again call me, 'My master.'
The word “allure” or “lure” is used in most versions (entice
is also used). A Greek dictionary says
it is a verb meaning: to entice, to deceive, to persuade; to be
gullible in perhaps a negative manner or in a seductive romantic way.
Verses 19 and 20 of Hosea 2 is a completion of the
alluring with the 10 tribes of Israel betrothed (engaged) to God. This may be viewed as the action of the
Gospel of Christ and the true Church which was primarily accepted and believed
by the mostly Caucasian descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel. The final enactment will be the Marriage of
the Lamb and the bride of Christ at the beginning of the Millennium.
Hosea 2:19-23 KJV And I will
betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in
righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. (20) I
will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the
LORD. (21) And it shall come to pass in that day, I will
hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the
earth; (22) And the earth shall hear the corn, and the
wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
(23) And I will sow her unto me
in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I
will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall
say, Thou art my God.
Hosea states that God did not cast out the House of
Israel forever, but would restore her at a future time. Hosea’s son, Jezreel, whose name means “God
scatters,” is a prophesy of the destruction of Israel and the following deportation
or scattering into northeaster Assyria.
The name Jezreel also means “God sows”, thus, to sow is to scatter seed
for planting and growing a new crop.
Israel was scattered into parts of the world or planted into a field. The meaning of Jezreel reflects the sowing of
seed (Israel) in the field (world) for the purpose of bringing forth many sons.
The children of Israel were to become as numerous as the sands of the sea (a
promise to Abraham and fulfilled by the nation of ten-tribed Israel).
The Pearl of
Great Price
Matthew 13:45-46
KJV Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: (46) Who,
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it.
There is a statement by Moses in Exodus 19:5 that Israel was
to be the peculiar treasure of God. This
can be said not to have happened with Judah but mostly with the tribes of
Israel within the context of the Church.
Exodus 19:5 KJV Now
therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Like the pearl, God hid the nation of Israel into the
field of the nations of the world.
Joseph who was given the birthright promise by Jacob was hidden in Egypt
for a purpose (the plan of God).
Jesus sold all that He had (His heavenly glory and His
life by crucifixion) and bought the field (the world) containing the pearl,
which is the nation of Israel and all who will believe (because He also bought
the world).
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