We would like to go into this subject at length and show how that the Scriptures
themselves will not allow such a doctrine. For this, as well as any other
subject, we must search the Scriptures, deeming them as the final authority.
On every hand one hears the expression, the ten lost tribes. But it is not
a Biblical expression and there is nothing in the Bible to support the notion.
It is like the term Spiritual Israel
which also is not Scriptural. But these two notions have become a foundation
for a great structure of errors. And this we seek to prove.
Some would attempt to build upon a colloquial usage of Jew and Israelite.
But this, too, is without any Biblical foundation as we will show.
Now note page 59 of the Appendices of the Companion Bible and you will see
that Hezekiah began his reign a few years before the termination of the kingdom
of Israel. Then read in 2 Chronicles 29, 30 and 31 of the deeds of Hezekiah
and the revival at Jerusalem. When the temple was cleansed and the Passover
about to be observed, he sent invitations throughout all Judea and Israel
for all to come. In 30:25 we read of many strangers who came in from the
land of Israel, and in 31:1 we see that these Israelites helped to cleanse
the land of Judah from its groves and idols. It is true that many later
returned to their own possessions and cities in Israel at that time. But
were they visitors at the Passover, or were they those that dwelt in Judah?
We find the answer back in chapter 11, verses 16 and 17. After idolatry
was set up in Israel by Jeroboam we read that many of the folks from Israel
came up to Jerusalem to worship the true God and so strengthened the
kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam strong. This explains many things that
later happen, even in the NT.
In 2 Chronicles 15:9 we read that there dwelt at Jerusalem strangers from
Ephraim, Manasseh, and from Simeon. This was in the time of king
Asa.
In chapter 19, verse 8, we find that chief of the fathers of Israel dwelt
at Jerusalem. These are again mentioned in 23:2. In 31:6 we read that the
children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah brought their tithes
and made heaps of them.
So from a close reading of 2 Chronicles, we must conclude that the godly
of Israel joined with Judah and dwelt with them. Then we can see that many
of Israel were in the Babylonian captivity and most certainly many returned
with the remnant that rebuilt the city and the temple. And since the chief
of the fathers of these people were in Judah, we can readily see that the
ten tribes were not lost, but were preserved along with Judah.
Finally notice in chapter 34 that in the reign of Josiah, he went up into
Israel and destroyed the idols taking away all the abominations from the
countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all present
in Israel to serve the Lord. This shows then that when Israel was taken captive,
it was not complete. Many were left behind.
Those who know the Scriptures cannot for a moment go along with the idea
that the ten tribes went into captivity and were lost, never returning to
Palestine, but were scattered among the nations and especially in Ireland.
In Ezra 6:16 the children of Israel,
the priests and the Levites kept the dedication of the house. The next verse
tells of the offering of 12 he goats for a sin offering according to the
number of the tribes of Israel.
Note later in verse 21 that it speaks of all the children of
Israel that came out of captivity. In this chapter and the next note
the usage of the term God of Israel.
Then in Ezra 7:13 the king of Persia made a decree concerning the people
of Israel and the priests and Levites.
The next verse speaks of Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 15 speaks of silver
and gold which the king gave to the God of
Israel whose habitation was in Jerusalem (not Samaria).
Using the concordance, it is easy to find that in the book of Esther, which
is about the 10 tribes, they are spoken of as
Jews about 6 times. What of the notion that Israel and Jews are distinct
and separate terms? It just does not hold. The same people that are called
Israel in Ezra are called Jews in Esther. No distinctions whatsoever.
Now in Luke 1:80 we read that John was in the deserts till the day of his
showing unto Israel. Did he go
to Ireland, England, Denmark, or some other place to shew himself unto Israel?
Or was Israel in the land? What saith the Scriptures?
On the road to Emmaus the two disciples had thought that Jesus of Nazareth
was the one who should have redeemed Israel
(Luke 24:21). And the Lord declared that he had not found such faith
in Israel as He did in the centurion
(Matt 8:10). Evidently He had been among Israel some time here on earth.
In Romans 11:1 Paul declares that he is an
Israelite and at the same time of the tribe of Benjamin. Now these
folks declare that this is an impossibility for Benjamin was with Judah and
so would be called Jews. Either the Book or somebody is wrong! But to further
mix it up, Paul also declared that he was a Jew (Acts 22:3)!
The woman at the well in Samaria said that the Lord was a Jew (John 4:9)
while Nathaniel once said that He was the King of
Israel (John 1:49). So according to the Word of God a Jew is an Israelite.
The Lord came to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. He sent His disciples to the same and they returned. There
is no record that they ever visited Phoenicia, Denmark or even Ireland.
Much of the claims made on this false assumption that Jew and Israelite were
different are too foolish to mention in our limited space. But a couple
more references should suffice to show the fallacy of such assumptions.
James addresses his epistle to the 12 tribes scattered abroad (that is, from
Jerusalem). Paul speaks of the 12 tribes and their hope (Acts 26:7). It
is wise to be as the noble Bereans, searching to see what is truth.
Not knowing the Scriptures, these unfortunate folks do not know that Israel
is not the chosen people today (Eph 1:4). They do not know that Israel was
set aside (Acts 28:28) and that there is a church program today. So they
claim that they are Israelites thereby hoping to come into blessing. But
in doing so they have denied the blood of Christ (do they ever mention it?),
and then try to get the blessing by claiming blood relationship. This is
the fruit of ignorance.
They do not know that the apostle Paul finished the canon of Scripture (Col
1:25) and that no revelation has come from God since that time. So they
bring into the picture a coronation stone which the Bible knows nothing about
and try to substitute this stone for the Rock of Ages. And they seem to
worship this stone even as Israel did the brazen serpent in later years,
and which king Hezekiah destroyed when it was 835 years old (2 Kings 18:4).
The worship of relics is a heathen practice.
Of course the Word does not speak of a return of the 10 tribes as it does
of Judah for the simple reason that only a few, the leading families, of
Israel were led into captivity. The great bulk of them were left in the
land. But all of Judah was taken away and none left. The land was desolate.
So it is that the Scriptures speak of all 12 tribes without distinction in
this matter. James writes to the 12 tribes (James 1:1). Paul speaks of
the worship of the 12 tribes (Acts 26:7). In Luke 2:36 we read of a prophetess
of the tribe of Asher. The reader can take a concordance and look up other
references to the various tribes in the NT.
Now Anglo-Israelism has one thing to commend it. It did revolt against the
old system of spiritualizing the Scriptures. But in doing so, they failed
to rightly divide. So not finding an Israel today to whom they could apply
the prophecies of the latter days, they had to invent an Israel. If they
had known that this is the church age and that Israel's prophecies will be
taken up again when the times of. the Gentiles have run out, they would have
been spared all this confusion and the necessity of inventing a lot of stories
to make their theory stick. This is not honesty.
Like many of the various sects and isms, they first state their theory and
then quote here and there from the Bible without regarding the context to
prove this theory. This is called text-garbling. To find truth, one must
use the Scriptures as a foundation and draw from that the teaching.
They declare that there is a fine distinction between Jew and Israelite,
and between the house of Judah and the house of Israel. But we find the
terms house of Israel used in the Bible 13 times before the dividing of the
kingdom. And likewise we find the terms house of Judah used 4 times before
the division. We have already remarked on the usage of Jew and Israelite.
Everywhere we turn, we find that their story is an invention, a myth.
