The Tents of Shem ~ Part Two The Two Will Become One

The Tents of Shem ~ Part Two

The Two Will Become One

In this series we are establishing that Yahweh has two groups of people on earth today that He considers “Israel.”  We are using the term Christian to describe those associated with the House of Israel, and Jew to describe those from the House of Judah.  Paul uses the phrase “Israel of God” (Gal 6:16) to describe the redeemed of the Lord, whether native born or sojourner.  Yahweh is in the process of bringing the Christians and the Jews together into one family with one Law, one Faith and Shepherd. 

In part two of this series we will examine the connection between what King Jeroboam did with the House of Israel and what Constantine and the early church fathers did with the “church” in the years 324-380.

Two witnesses Christians and Jews

Duet 19:15  One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 

All matters, whether in or out of court, must be established by the testimony of “two” witnesses.  Yahweh is establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth (Acts 1:3&28:23).   In doing this He is using “two” witnesses; these witnesses are groups of people, which we will refer to as the Christians and the Jews.  Christianity has the Messiah and Holy Spirit, which bring us Atonement.  Judaism has the Torah, which brings instruction for how to live and worship our Heavenly Father.  These two groups of people represent Spirit and Truth.  In Scripture these people are referred to as the Two Houses of Israel, the House of Israel and the House of Judah (Jer 3:18 & 31:31).  Depending on the context, when the House of Israel appears in Scripture after the time of Solomon, let the reader understand the text is talking about a future group of people called Christians; the House of Israel, Joseph, Ephraim.  Likewise when the House of Judah appears in Scripture, the text is referring to a future group of people known today as “the Jews.” 

The history of the United Kingdom of Israel

At the end of Genesis the children of Israel end up in Egypt.  In the book of Exodus, Joseph dies and Moses leads the people out of Egypt.  Then Moses dies, and Joshua leads the people into the promise land.  Joshua dies, and Yahweh calls Judges to lead the people for a period of time.  After the time of Judges, Samuel is brought into the Mishkan to serve with the High Priest and gets called to lead the people as a Prophet.  Later in his life Samuel anoints Saul as the first King of Israel.  The next King is David, whom Samuel also anoints.  During King David’s reign all the tribes of Israel were united.  After King David, his son Solomon takes the throne as King over all Israel.  In 1 Kings 11:43 King Solomon’s son Rehoboam becomes the next King of Israel.  Just before he takes the throne, this bible story takes an interesting turn.

The tribes of Israel become TWO Kingdoms

In 1 Kings 11:9–13 Yahweh gets angry with Solomon for not keeping the commands that were given to him in the Torah.  Yahweh tells him that He is going to “tear” the Kingdom away from him, and give it to one of his servants.  The servants name was Jeroboam.  In verse 29 of the same chapter, a prophet (Ahija from Shiloh) tells Jeroboam that Yahweh will be giving him ten of the twelve tribes.  In 1 Kings 12:3 Jeroboam and some of the people went to King Rehoboam to ask for tax relief.  Rehoboam declined the plea for tax relief and imposed more taxes on the people.  In so doing there was a split within the Tribes of Israel which remains to this day.  Ten of the twelve tribes split away and crowned Jeroboam the “King of Israel.”  From this point in history until today Israel is Two Kingdoms.

1 Kings 12:20 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 the tribe of Judah only.

Understanding this part of Israel’s History is a very important KEY to understanding Israel’s Future and the final restoration of Israel.

These Ten tribes that were given to Jeroboam became known in history as the Northern Kingdom (secular terminology) and also the “House of Israel” (Ezek 3:1-17).  The other tribes consisting of Judah, Benjamin, and part of the tribe of Levi, became known as the “Southern Kingdom” (secular terminology) and the “House of Judah” (1 kin 12:23).

The House of Israel is also called; The Northern Kingdom, Israel, Joseph, and Ephraim.  All of these titles are “Prophetic Shadows” of the Christian Church.

Understanding that there are Two Houses of Israel is of paramount importance, if one is to properly understand the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament and the writings of the New Testament.  Yahweh sent Prophets to primarily one House or the other.  Because Israel was split, and both houses were in different places doing different things, the messages were different depending on which House was being addressed.  

Let’s take a moment and review some fundamental concepts to keep in mind as we continue.  Joseph’s Coat of many colors represents the many colors of skin within the nations.  We see this fulfilled within the many colors if skin represented with the “church.”  This Coat made his brothers jealous, and Christians are called to provoke the Jews to jealousy.  Ephraim means double fruitful, and the Christians are very numerous.  Manasseh means to forget about Moses and this is what most of Christianity has done.  Ephraim and Manasseh were adopted becoming sons of Israel (Gen 48:5).  Then Israel made the sign of a cross, the ancient Hebrew “Tav,” using his arms, and blessed the boys.  In the same way Christians are adopted through a “cross” and become sons of Israel.   Jacob prophesies that Ephraim and Manasseh will “multiply like fish” (Gen 48:16) and become the “fullness of gentiles” (Gen 48:19).  Paul, writing to the non-Jewish believers in Rome, says when the “fullness of the gentiles” comes in “all Israel” will be saved (Rom 11:25&26).  Why is Paul connecting these non-Jewish “gentile” believers with the phrase “all Israel?”  He is teaching us that there is a mystery here, a connection that takes us back to Genesis 48:19, to the prophecy spoken over Joseph’s two sons becoming “the fullness of the gentiles.”  Hosea says the House of Israel is like a silly dove (Hos 7:11) and they see the Torah as a strange thing (Hos 8:12).   Christians likewise see the Torah as a strange thing, and have adopted the symbol of the dove.

The House of Israel was Divorced

Jer 3:8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.

Hsa 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband:

When Yahweh married the mixed multitude at the base of Mount Sinai, the whole group of people; native and sojourners became known as Israel (Exo 12:38 &47-49, Num 15:14-16).  

2 Kings 18:9-12 In King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.  The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.  This happened because they had not obeyed Yahweh their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

This is speaking about the House of Israel

NOT the House of Judah.

Israel is scattered and mixed into the Gentiles

The house of Israel was scattered into the nations for the sins of Jeroboam.

1Kings 14:15-16 And Yahweh will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused Yahweh’s anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

This again is speaking about the House of Israel

NOT the House of Judah.

Hos 8:8-12   Israel is swallowed up; Now they are among the Gentiles Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.  For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.  Yes, though they have hired among the nations, Now I will gather them; And they shall sorrow a little, Because of the burden of the king of princes.  “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, they have become for him altars for sinning.  I have written for him the great things of My Torah, But they were considered a strange thing.

Amos 9:9 “ For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations (gentiles), as grain is sifted in a sieve;

Amos was a prophet to Northern Kingdom.  This prophecy is not speaking of the people commonly called Jews.  It refers to the House of Israel also called Ephraim, which we are connecting to the Christians of today.  These Scriptures teach us that the place to find the House of Israel is among the gentiles or nations.

Both Houses are scattered into the nations

Ezek 36:19-21 So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.    

  

Both the House of Israel and the House of Judah were scattered into the nations, this is why there are Jewish people living in almost every country of the world.  The House of Israel was scattered into the nations many years before the House of Judah.  They were scattered and sifted like grain and wherever they went they worshiped Yahweh the way the nations around them worshiped their gods.  The main difference between the two Houses of Israel in regards to worship is, when the House of Judah was scattered into a nation, they generally continued to keep the Torah, especially the Sabbath, which is “THE” sign,  between Yahweh and His people that they are Israel.  The House of Israel merged the worship of Yahweh with that of the nation’s wherever they went.

Jeroboam and Constantine

1 kings 12 : 26-33 in these verses King Jeroboam sets up idols for the people to worship, he changes the Feast days of Yahweh, and ordains men as priests who were not descendants of Levi.  This spirit that caused Jeroboam to sin and consequently led the whole House of Israel into sin, is the same spirit that stirred the heart of the Emperor Constantine.  This Spirit changes the Truth into a lie and causes Yahweh’s people to worship Him in a way that mixes True worship, with the ways of the nations.  Emperor Constantine was influential in changing Passover to Easter, and he also worked toward changing the Sabbath to Sunday, and making laws prohibiting worship in homes and leading religious ceremonies without state license and ordination.  This process began with the council of Nicea and became canonized in the council of Laodicea.

The Northern Kingdom parallels the Church

The Christian church has done exactly what Northern kingdom has done.  Through the efforts of Constantine and the early church fathers the true “WAY” to worship the Lord Yahweh was mixed with the how the nations worship.  This mixed form of worship has been practiced for so many generations that Christians today do not even question the traditions they hold dear or the origin from which they stem.  Jeroboam ordained anyone who wanted to be priest and the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches likewise do the same, ordaining anyone who passes the college courses and commits to preach the denominational doctrines.  Jeroboam changed the Feast of Sukkot from the seventh month, to the eight month.  The Catholic and Protestant churches have exchanged Passover and First Fruits for Good Friday and Easter, Sabbath for Sunday and Hanukkah for Christmas. 

The Christian Church

In the book of Acts, all of Gods people “Redeemed Israel” were one, with one “WAY” to worship.  This group of people consisted of people who were natural born Israelites and those from the nations that were turning to the God of Israel and accepting the Messiah Yeshua.  This group of people worshiped Yahweh according to the Apostles doctrine, which was salvation by grace through faith and a Torah obedient lifestyle.  After the apostles died and their last disciples began to die, the “WAY” began to be changed, and a new and better “WAY” began to emerge.  This included changing feast days, setting up idols, and a new priesthood that was not ordained according to the apostle’s doctrine or led by the Spirit, but chosen by the will of man.  These changes created a division within the “called out assembly” (aka, Ekklesia) those who followed Polycarp the disciple of John and those who followed the “Gentile Bishops” and later Constantine.  This division remains today as people want to hold fast to traditions that have no foundation in scripture, and those who only follow the written word are separated.  In this generation many Christians are being led to this scripture and recognize it is speaking to them about today……

Jer 16:19-21 O Yahweh, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say,
“ Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”  Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods?  “ Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might;  And they shall know that My name is Yahweh. 

Final thoughts

The House of Israel was sent into Exile for worshiping Yahweh in a new “WAY” not prescribed in the Torah.  The changes in worship that were implemented by the House of Israel are the same changes made by the leaders of the early “church.”  In the Messiah Yeshua, ALL who put their trust in Him, become sons of Abraham (Gal 3:16&29) and members of the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2:11, 12&19).  

It is still a truth we must come to understand, Israel today is primarily two groups of people; the House of Israel and the House of Judah and their companions (Ezek 37:15-19).  In this generation there are people who are discovering the truth, concerning the two houses of Israel, and meeting in the middle when it comes to worship.