Hosea & the 10 Tribes of Isael

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 1^st 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 1^st 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).

The Ten Virgins & The Two Resurrections

THE TEN VIRGINS & THE TWO RESURRECTIONS

Matthew 25:1-13 KJV  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  (2)  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  (3)  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  (4)  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  (5)  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  (6)  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  (7)  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  (8)  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  (9)  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  (10)  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  (11)  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  (12)  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  (13)  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The parable of the ten virgins has several varied interpretations usually in the context of the true saved Christian who will be raptured versus the fake unsaved Christian who will not be raptured.  In my opinion, this interpretation is entirely wrong as will be discussed.  Like most parables, this one specifically refers to the kingdom of Heaven which is that kingdom of God to be established on the earth in the future. 

Two Resurrections

The Bible speaks of two resurrections not counting the resurrection of Jesus, and the raising from the dead performed by Jesus of various people including Lazarus, the little girl, and a few at the death of Christ.  The first resurrection, sometimes called the “rapture”, occurs at the return of Jesus prior to the wrath of God and will include the living and the dead saints, but not necessarily all of them.  Dr. Stephen Jones calls this the resurrection of the “first fruits” or overcomers.  This will not include all Christians who have received salvation by the grace of God, but only the righteous overcomers who have placed their complete trust in Jesus and have truly learned to forgive everyone regardless of the injustice they may have suffered.

The story of Job would be an extreme case of an overcomer who never placed any blame on God, himself, or another person but maintained a forgiving spirit.  He was greatly honored and rewarded by God in life and presumably also in the next life.

These first resurrection overcomers will be rewarded as the judges and rulers of the earth under the reign of Jesus during the length or time span of the Millennium.  There will be surviving humans after the wrath of God who will live on the earth and procreate and die during the one thousand years.

The second resurrection occurs at the end of the Millennium (not the end of time but during the post Millennial age) and will include the remainder of the righteous and all the unrighteous.  This will be the time of the White Throne Judgment. 

Revelation 20:5 KJV  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

The final sentence of verse 20:5 reads “This is the first resurrection” and is a parenthetical statement referring to the events stated in verses 1 through 4, and not to the first sentence of verse 5.

Revelation 20:11-12 KJV  (11)  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

The book of life contains the names of the people of God or the Church in general who were not the overcomers of the first resurrection.  They will undergo a mild form of correction and be given glorified bodies.  The general books, which are probably the books of the laws of God, will be for the unrighteous and the unsaved.  Their discipline will be more severe and will necessitate the lake of fire which is the fiery law of God.  For more information concerning the lake of fire go to the following link:  The Lake of Fire

For more information concerning the resurrections and the judgment, you may click the following link: The Last Ages & the Resurrections

Virgins are Saved

This parable and similar others have always been difficult to comprehend by those who do not understand the two resurrections and the ones who will be impacted by the two resurrections.  All are virgins; all have a lamp with oil; all are waiting at the door; all fall asleep; and all awaken at the call and trim their lamps.  The only difference is that five have extra lamp oil and five do not.  Does this mean that 5 will be raptured (resurrected) and five will burn in hell?  No, but that is the usual conclusion arrived at by most Bible teachers and theological people.

Please note the main characters of this parable are presented as ten virgins and not 5 virgins accompanied by 5 whores.  They are all virgins and thus are righteous individuals saved by the grace of the Lord.  However, five are prepared with an abundance of lamp oil and five are not prepared.

The five prepared individuals are the overcomers and will be allowed into the door for the wedding feast.  They are the “first fruits” and will take part in the first resurrection.  The five unprepared virgins will not be allowed into the door of the first resurrection but will be raised at the second resurrection, which will include both the righteous, with the laws of God issues, and various levels of unrighteousness.  This resurrection was taught in the parables of the sheep and goats and the wheat and tares.  No one will be destroyed but all will be disciplined by the law of God.  Some with few stripes (probably symbolic) and others with the fiery laws of God as symbolized by the lake of fire of Revelation and the stream of fire coming from the throne of God in the book of Daniel.

Acts 24:14-15 KJV  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:  (15)  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

It is my opinion, and also that of others, the lake of fire is not an eternal torment but a corrective method of the law of God for discipline and teaching.

Oil

The first fruits offering was a wave offering of barley which was to be mixed or anointed with oil which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.  The first fruits is symbolic of the first resurrection.  Oil was used to anoint a king and for the consecration of priests.

Leviticus 23:13 KJ3  And its food offering shall be two tenths part of flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to Jehovah, a sweet fragrance; and its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine.

The virgins with an abundance of oil (Holy Spirit) were prepared to participate as the barley first fruits offering.  The second unprepared group would miss the barley offering and could only participate in the following wheat offering which would require threshing; the burning of the chaff; and to be cooked with leaven, which is symbolic of sin.  A study of wheat in the Bible teaches us about the Church in general and the manner in which the Church is raised and judged briefly in the second resurrection.  Barley is the first grain to ripen, is free of chaff, requires no threshing, and can be separated by waving the sheath.  Wheat becomes mature much later than barley, requires threshing, and the chaff residue must be removed.  The two Old Testament grain offerings of barley and wheat symbolize of represent the two levels of resurrection. 

All will be resurrected and receive eternal life but all will not be resurrected at the same time.  The first resurrection (rapture) will be the first fruits or the overcomers.  The second resurrection will occur toward the end of the millennium and will be the grain offering of wheat.  The ones written in the book of life will have their leaven replaced with the sanctified oil of the Holy Spirit in its fullness.

The virgins are waiting for the bridegroom to appear.  Notice they are not traveling to the origin of the bridegroom, but rather, the groom is coming to them.  Jesus will come from heaven, leaving God the Father, to be with his bride and the bridal company on the earth, not in heaven.  The wise virgins escorted him to the place where they had been awaiting his coming.

Genesis 2:24 ASV Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

When Paul speaks of Christ's coming, He speaks of believers meeting Him in the air to escort Him to earth, but not of the believers going to heaven as their final home.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV  (17)  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

This will occur in an almost identical fashion as Moses ascending Mt. Sinai to meet the Lord God.

Exodus 19:20 KJV  And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

Not everyone celebrated the marriage feast, which is called by some as the Feast of Tabernacles. Those who did not have enough oil which is the Holy Spirit, had to go buy more oil.  It was a late hour and they did not return until the door was shut.