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The United States and Britain Identified in Bible Prophecy
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The United States and Britain Identified in Bible Prophecy
The Mystery of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel
Stephen W. Boston Ph.D.
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All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2000 Stephen W. Boston Ph.D.
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Dedicated to my wonderful and supportive wife, Evelyn. Without her this book would not have been possible.
Table of Contents
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The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel
- The United States and Britain in Prophecy
- The Birthright Paradox and the Scepter Promise
- The Paradox of the Throne of David
- The History of Israel and Judah
- Jeremiah and the Throne of David
- The Markers of History
- The 2,520 Year Old Coincidence
- Birthright Promises Fulfilled
About the Author
List of Illustrations
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Figure 1. Chart of Israel's (Jacob's) Wives and Sons
Figure 2. Map Showing the British Isles to be North West of Jerusalem
Figure 3. Chart Showing the Progression of the Promises of God
Figure 4. Map Showing the British Empire at its Peak with Sea Gates
Figure 5. Map Showing the Expansion of the United States of America
Foreword
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Preface
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Introduction
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The Lost Ten Tribes
Most people today identify Israel with the Jews. A study into ancient history will reveal that after Solomon died, the nation underwent civil unrest that resulted in the nation being split into two separate nations. There were thirteen tribes that made up the nation of Israel before the split. Afterwards, ten tribes retained the name Israel and the other tribes were called Judah. The Bible records what happened to these two nations. Over time, the nation called Israel was conquered and forcibly removed from their land. They lost their native language, their identity, and contact with God. Scholars refer to them as the lost ten tribes of Israel. Two of these tribes became modern Britain and the United States of America.
Certain questions about the United States and Britain are not easily answered. Why was the United States able to become such a great and powerful nation in a relatively short period of time? How was Britain able to obtain and control the largest empire in world history with little effort and without powerful occupation armies in an equally short period of time? Is it just a coincidence that both of the nations came into their power and national prominence at the same time? Was it luck or was there a divine plan at work?
God's Promises to Abraham
The critics of the Bible point out several flaws in the Old Testament. These critics point out that God made certain promises in the Bible, to the nation of Israel, that were unconditional and unbreakable. Yet, Jewish history appears to show that these promises were never fulfilled. Can the critics be proven wrong? The mystery of the lost ten tribes of Israel begins with Abraham. God made promises to Abraham that were unconditional. Later God made an unconditional promise to David. By understanding these promises and their significance, in combination with Biblical and historical research, the mystery of the lost ten tribes of Israel can be solved.
What were the promises to Abraham? There were two promises made to Abram (name later changed to Abraham). Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a Great Nation … and in thee shall all the families of the Earth to be blessed. (Genesis 12:1)
The first promise was physical. The second promise was spiritual. The spiritual promise is a promise that Christ will be a descendant of Abraham and will be a blessing to all families. The physical promise is that Abraham's descendants will become a great nation.
To distinguish between the two promises, scholars refer to the physical one as the Birthright Promise and the spiritual one as the Scepter Promise.
What is a birthright? Merriam-Webster defines it as: a right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth. If the birthright promise was just about being a great nation, then the time in Israel's history that Solomon ruled could have fulfilled the promise and there would be no mystery.
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly … thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee" (Gen. 17:1-5)
Later, God appeared unto Jacob (Abraham's grandson whose name later was changed to Israel), still further defining the make-up of these many nations. "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins" (Gen. 35:9-12). The nation of Israel under the rule of Solomon does not fulfill the promise of a company of nations. As the promise was passed down to Isaac and Jacob, the promise and the prophecies of how it would be fulfilled became more detailed. In order for God to keep his promises, all of the prophecies listed above have to be fulfilled. These promises were never fulfilled in Jewish history. The reasons will be explored in the section dedicated to the history of Israel and Judah.
What is a Scepter? Merriam-Webster defines it as: 1. A staff or baton borne by a sovereign as an emblem of authority 2. Royal or imperial authority.
Since Christ was a Jew, and since Jews are descended from Abraham, the Scepter promise appears to be cut and dried without complication. Because of the promises God made to King David (a descendant of Judah), it isn't that simple. Scholars call the promise made to David, the Davidic Covenant.
God's Promise to David
David wanted to build a great Temple, as God's house in Jerusalem. The Almighty replied, " … when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom" (II Samuel 7:12). This was his son Solomon, who succeeded David to the throne.
"He," God continued, "shall build an house for my name." — and it was Solomon who did build the Temple, — "and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (Verse 13). How does Christ get involved in this? The answer comes from the Archangel Gabriel:
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Here is a promise that Christ will sit on the Throne of David at his return. Christ never sat on a throne while he was alive on Earth so that prophecy must be fulfilled at his Second Coming. David's throne is not in the modern nation of Israel today. What throne will Christ return to? The prophecies about the Throne of David and how it adds to these mysteries will be explored in the section called The Paradox of the Throne of David.
Summary:
· God made unconditional promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that their descendants would become a great and powerful nation and a company of nations (Birthright Promises)
· God promised Abraham that one of his descendants would be a blessing to all of the families of the Earth (Scepter Promise)
· God promised David that his throne would exist through all generations and would exist forever (Davidic Covenant)
· The promise of the Scepter and the Davidic Covenant became joined when it was prophesied that Christ would sit on the throne of David and reign forever
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The Birthright Paradox and the Scepter Promise
The promises God made Abraham as recorded in Genesis 17 were conditional on Abraham's obedience. So God put Abraham to the test. Abraham, through faith, obeyed to the point of being willing to sacrifice his only son. After that the covenant no longer was conditional; it was unconditional.
"By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and has not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of His enemies; and in thy seed" (Christ) "shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Gen. 22:16-18).
God
promised that Abraham's descendants would control the gate of his enemies. When
speaking nationally, a "gate" would be a pass such as the Panama
Canal, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Gibraltar. This promise is repeated:
Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
These promises were handed down to Isaac.
Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
The promises of the Birthright and of the Scepter were both passed on to Isaac. Normally birthrights are passed from father to first-born son. Isaac's first-born and favorite son was Esau. Even so, the birthright promises were not passed down to Esau, they were passed on to Jacob. This occurred because of two events. The first event is where Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lintel soup.
Genesis 25:19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. 27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
The second event occurred when Isaac was near death. Rebekah conspired with Jacob so that he could fool his father and receive the blessings instead of Esau. As Isaac lay dying, he called Esau to him and told him his death was near. He asked his son to go out to the field and kill him some venison and use it to cook his favorite dish. After the meal he would give his son the blessings of his birthright. Rebekah cooked Isaac's favorite dish for Jacob to take to his father and she helped Jacob to dress like Esau. Jacob was able to fool his father to give him the blessing instead of Esau.
Genesis 27:15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
17 And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. 20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. 21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. 22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. 24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank. 26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. 27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: 28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
This is how the birthright passed from Isaac to Jacob. This time the blessing of material wealth in the form of food and wine was added in addition to Jacob's descendants ruling other nations. More detail is added in Gen. 28:13-14.
Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the Earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the Earth be blessed.
The Scepter promise of Christ was passed on as well as the promises of national greatness: (and in thy seed shall all the families of the Earth be blessed.)
Another important event occurred that is a clue to solving the mystery of the lost ten tribes. The Bible records several times of God speaking to Jacob. One of those times God made a very important announcement.
Genesis 35:9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
God
changed Jacob's name to Israel. When Jacob was very old and about to die, he
passed his name on to two grandsons. These grandsons grew up to be patriarchs
of two of the tribes of Israel. Important blessings and prophecies associated
with Israel's grandsons are keys to discovering which nations in history
fulfill the Birthright promises.
Israel's first-born son was Rueben by his wife Leah. He disqualified himself for the birthrights normally passed onto to the firstborn as recorded in I Chronicles:
1 Chronicles 5:1 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, 2 and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph). NIV
Israel (Jacob) had four wives and a total of twelve sons. These later became the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. When Israel (Jacob) died, the Birthright promises were passed on to the descendants of Joseph, and the Scepter promise was passed on to the descendants of Judah.
Figure 1
So, the birthright moved on to Joseph who was the favorite son of Israel (Jacob). Because his father showed Joseph favor by giving him a coat of many colors, his brothers faked his death and sold him to some traveling slave traders who later sold Joseph in Egypt. There he had many trials but ultimately became the second most powerful man in Egypt controlling the stored wheat during a bitter famine. It was the famine that ultimately reunited Joseph with his father and brothers. Just before Jacob (Israel) died he passed on a blessing to the sons of Joseph. Joseph had married an Egyptian woman who had bore him twins, Ephraim and Manasseh. The story of how the birthright passed on to them is recorded in Genesis 48.
Genesis 48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. 7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. 8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? 9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. 12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the Earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the Earth. 17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Israel
(Jacob) passed his name and the Birthright Promises on to both grandsons and
declared that the younger, Ephraim would be greater than the older, Manasseh. Ephraim's
descendants would someday be a company of nations and Manasseh's descendants
would be a great and powerful nation. Israel (Jacob) did not pass the
Scepter promise on to Joseph's sons, this promise of the Scepter was passed on
to Israel's son Judah. The scepter shall not depart from Judah.
(Gen. 49:10)
Up until this time the blessing of the Birthright and the Scepter had been handed down together. At Israel's (Jacob's) death, the two blessing became separated.
The unconditional promises of God to Abraham included national greatness and a promise that one of his seed shall bless all nations: "and in thy seed" (Christ) "shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed; Gen. 22:18. Bible scholars recognize that this promise refers to Christ. This same promise was repeated to Isaac: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed; Genesis 26:4. This same promise was passed onto to Jacob, later renamed Israel.
Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the Earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the Earth be blessed.
When Israel (Jacob) blessed the sons of Joseph, he passed on to them the Birthright Promises and his name, but not the Scepter Promise. Before Israel (Jacob) died he also blessed and prophesied about his other eleven sons. These prophecies are recorded in Genesis 49.
Genesis
49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that
I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 2 Gather
yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel
your father. 3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the
beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy
father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 5 Simeon
and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour,
be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill
they digged down a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their
wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren
shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's
children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a
lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he
couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre
shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his
foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his
garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be
red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. 13 Zebulun shall dwell at
the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border
shall be unto Zidon. 14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between
two burdens: 15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was
pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. 16
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the
horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 I have
waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him:
but he shall overcome at the last. 20 Out of Asher his bread shall be
fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 21 Naphtali is a hind let
loose: he giveth goodly words. 22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a
fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers
have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode
in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the
mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who
shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth
under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy
father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost
bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the
crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. 27 Benjamin
shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he
shall divide the spoil. 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel:
and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one
according to his blessing he blessed them.
Three of the prophecies Israel (Jacob) spoke have the most bearing on solving the mystery of the lost ten tribes of Israel. The prophecies concerning Dan and Joseph will be addressed later. The one about Judah gives important information about the Scepter:
Genesis 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
The promise concerning the Scepter was passed onto Judah. It shall not leave Judah. Who is Shiloh? This refers to Christ. The gathering of the people refers to Christ's Second Coming when he will rule all people. The history of the Jewish people does not contain a time when they fulfilled the promise to become a company of nations. When Solomon was King, Israel did not own the gates of its enemies. Historians agree that briefly it could be considered as a great nation during that time. The Solomon time period does not fulfill all of the Birthright Promises.
Summary:
· Both the Birthright and Scepter Promises were passed down from Abraham to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob
· The Birthright Promises included owning the gates (sea gates) of their enemies
· God changed Jacob's name to Israel
· Rueben disqualified himself to receive the Birthright Promises because he defiled his father's bed
· Joseph, the firstborn of Rachael, became the recipient of the Birthright Promises
· Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who received both the name of Israel and the Birthright Promises from their grandfather Israel (Jacob)
· The Scepter Promise was passed down to Judah, son of Leah
· Christ (Shiloh) was prophesied to be a descendant of Judah
· Christ was born in Judea when the Roman Empire ruled it
· In all of Jewish history, there has never been a time when it was a company of nations
· During Jewish history it has never controlled the gates of its enemies (The Suez Canal was unusable during Israel's brief occupation of it during the six day war)
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The Paradox of the Throne of David
God promised David his throne would last forever. He promised his son Solomon would build the temple and that the throne would not depart from his descendants like it did Saul's.
II Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
Not only was that throne established forever, it was to exist continuously forever through all generations.
"I
have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy
seed" (his dynasty) "will I establish forever, and build up
thy throne to all generations" (Psalm 89:3-4). "That
throne was to stand forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in
heaven" (verses 28-37). "For thus saith the Lord; David shall
never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel"
(Jer. 33:17.) KJV
Jeremiah 33:17 For this is what the LORD says: `David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, NIV
In Luke, it was promised that Christ would sit on the throne of David.
Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
According to the promises of God, if the moon can still be seen in the sky, then someone has to be sitting on the throne of David. When Christ returns, there has to be an existing throne and heir of David. According to history, the last king of David's dynasty to sit upon that throne was King Zedekiah of Judah, who died in 585 BC while the Jews were a captive people. All of his sons, and all the nobles of Judah were killed. God made a very strong promise in Jeremiah. "Thus saith the lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne" (Jer 33:19-21). Day and night still continues. Unless God is a liar, somehow, someone is sitting on the throne of David today! Some scholars claim that Christ solves this problem. There were many generations from the time of King Zedekiah to the time of Christ, so unless someone was on the throne of David through those centuries, God is a liar. Christ never sat on a throne while he was alive. Can this paradox be solved?
Summary:
· David's throne was established with Solomon, David's son
· The throne was established forever from the time of Solomon forward
· If Solomon or the children of Israel disobeyed God, they be would be punished but their sins would not make God break the promise that David's throne would go on forever as an unbroken dynasty
· God reputation as a promise keeper is as solid as his ability to make the night follow the day
· Christ never sat on a throne when he was alive on Earth
· When Christ returns, someone must be sitting on the throne of David
· History records that the Davidic line of Kings ended with King Zedekiah of Judah, who died in 585 BC
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The History of Israel and Judah
The modern state of Israel was proclaimed by the Jewish leader David Ben Gurion, on May 14, 1948, and officially came into being on the 15th, after British mandatory rule ended at midnight. Israel had not been a sovereign nation since its destruction by the Roman Empire. By 73 AD Israel no longer existed. There was a brief flicker of existence in 132 AD with the revolt of Shimon Bar Kokhba which regained control of Judea and Jerusalem but it was very short lived. Three years later, in conformity with Roman custom, Jerusalem was "plowed up with a yoke of oxen." Judea was renamed Palaestinia and Jerusalem, Aelia Capitolina.
Even counting the glorious reign of Solomon, there has never been a time when a nation named Israel could call itself a company of nations. And since the time of King Zedekiah in 585 BC, no known King from David's lineage has reigned over a Kingdom called Israel.
God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that Abraham's seed would become a great nation and a company of nations. God promised David that there would always be someone sitting on the throne of David. Critics of the Bible are familiar with these promises and claim that according to history they have never been kept. These critics claim that it proves the Bible is not the word of God but a compilation of stories by a people arrogant enough to call themselves the chosen ones.
Is the Bible the inspired word of God or are the critics correct? The answer to this question lies in identifying the United States and Britain in Prophecy.
Israel Divided Into Two Nations
The Birthright and Scepter Promises were divided and associated with different tribes of Israel after the death of Jacob (Israel). Later in history, Israel became divided into two nations. One nation had the legacy of the Scepter promise and the other legacy of the Birthright promises.
To understand how this happened, Bible scholars turn to the time in Hebrew history right after King Solomon died. During the reign of Solomon, he had many expensive government projects. The first was the building of the temple. Afterwards was his palace with its gardens and its lavish finery. In order to pay for all of this, the people of Israel were taxed heavily. Because it was during a time of peace and prosperity, the people endured in the name of national pride. Solomon was a man of excesses. He had over a thousand wives and concubines. What displeased God was not the number of his wives; but that in order to please some of them, he allowed sacrifices to be made to their foreign gods and idols.
I Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
The evil of Solomon resulted in the Kingdom of Israel being torn away from his lineage. Because of the promise God made David, a portion of the Kingdom was to remain with his son and his descendants. How did this come about? The fulfillment of the prophecy resulted in the formation of two Kingdoms, one called Israel and the other called the Kingdom of Judah. This is recorded in I Kings 12.
I Kings 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) 3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? 7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: 9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. 11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; 14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 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. 21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
Rehoboam
succeeded his father Solomon to the throne of Israel. Because he refused to
lower their taxes, the nation of Israel rebelled. Much like the colonies of Britain
when the Americas broke away from the King of England over taxes, so did the
ancient nation of Israel. They made Jeroboam their King. Only the houses of
Judah and Benjamin stayed loyal to Solomon's son. From this time forward, the
history of Israel is separate from the history of Judah. The modern nation of
Israel, as well as the nation of Israel during the time of Christ, was composed
of Jews whose history go back to the nation of Judah, not the nation of
Israel. The capitol of Judah was Jerusalem. The capital of Israel was Samaria.
In Bible prophecy, there is a distinction between prophecies that apply to Judah
and to those that apply Israel. Prophecies for Israel refer to Samaria,
Ephraim or Israel. Prophecies for Judah refer to Jerusalem or Judah. This
distinction is especially important when studying prophecies that pertain to
the end time.
How did history lose the ten tribes of Israel and associate "Jews" with Israel? History shows that it wasn't until the nation of Judah was at war with the nation of Israel that the term Jew was first used in the Bible.
II Kings 16:1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
Ahaz was the King of Judah. Pekah was the King of Israel. The term Jew is used while Israel, with its ally Syria, is at war with Judah! This shows that Jews are not technically the nation of Israel, despite taking on that name when they reoccupied Palestine. It takes understanding the actual history of Israel and Judah to discover how the world came to incorrectly associate the Jews with Israel, and how the real nation of Israel became lost to history.
God Punishes Israel
When Jeroboam became King over Israel he was fearful of losing his newly acquired power. His fear was that when the Israelites went to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles that somehow he would lose his Kingdom and his subjects.
1 Kings 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
From the time Israel separated from Judah, Israel took a path of idolatry. Israel also ceased to keep the laws of God pertaining to the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Jeroboam sinned by creating a separate set of holidays for his subjects to keep. For generations, God pleaded with Israel through their prophets to return to the keeping of the commandments of God. This went on for centuries. The people did as they pleased and served not the God of their fathers. God prophesied what would happen to Israel because of their sins.
I Kings 14:15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. 16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
This prophecy did not come to pass right away. God gave Israel many chances to repent and turn from its evil. Some scholars have proposed that this prophecy is actually referring to the scattered condition of the Jews over the centuries. Careful examination of I Kings 14 will show that God made a distinction between the sins of Israel and the sins of Judah. Later in the chapter, God addresses the national sins of Judah.
I Kings 14 :21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. 22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
God addresses their sins but at this time does not speak of a national punishment. After centuries of national sin, God made the promise of scattering the people of Israel come true. In Ezekiel God explains why.
Ezekiel 20:10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. 12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: 19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 20 And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my Sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. 23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
Because of Sabbath breaking and idol worship, God punished Israel by removing them from their land. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of God's people. By refusing to keep the Sabbath as commanded, they lost their identity.
Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
The word Sabbaths in the plural signifies both the weekly Sabbath and the Holy Days which are called high Sabbaths. Because Israel kept not these Sabbaths, they lost their identifying sign. Judah was also an evil nation and they also abandoned the Sabbath and the Holy Days much like Israel. They later repented and started keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days again. Because of this, they never lost their identifying sign. Israel did lose their identifying sign. The fate of Israel is recorded in II Kings 17.
II Kings 17:5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria (Capital of Israel), and besieged it three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: 11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: 12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. 15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. 16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
And
in the year 721 BC, the Houses of Israel were finally driven out of
their own land, out of their homes and cities, and carried captive to Assyria
on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. The ten tribes or houses of Israel
that were carried into captivity were; Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issacha, Dan,
Gad, Naphtali, Asher, Ephraim and Manasseh. (Joseph was split into two tribes,
Ephraim and Manasseh).
The tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi stayed in Judah. Originally just Benjamin and Judah were loyal to Rehoboam; but when Jehoboam kicked out the Levites, they went to Judah. The Levites were a priestly tribe, and they did not have land of their own like the other tribes. The tithes of the other tribes were what fed and clothed the Levite priests and their families. When Jeroboam instituted idol worship and ceased to observe the Holy Days of God, the Levites protested. Jeroboam set up his own priests and kicked the Levites out of the country. So out of the original thirteen tribes, ten were carried off into captivity by Assyria.
In Leviticus 26, God laid out the blessings and punishments that Israel would experience. Blessing if they obeyed and the punishments if they didn't. Leviticus was a book written by Moses. From the very beginning of the covenant that God made with Israel, the consequences of disobeying were spelled out as well as the blessing for obedience. Important information relating to the identity of the lost ten tribes is recorded in this chapter.
Leviticus 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 2 Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. 3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. 10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. 11 And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. 14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: 16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. 18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. 21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. 23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; 24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; 28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. 30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. 31 And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. 32 And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
The part where God will scatter Israel among the heathen nations is obvious, the part about God chastising Israel seven times is not. The promise to chastise Israel seven times and the date of Israel's captivity (721 BC), will allow history to discover the Birthright nations. Even though God punished Israel, the unconditional promises of God must still be kept. It never was a question if God would make the descendants of Abraham a great nation and a company of nations, but a question of when. What "seven times" means as it applies to national punishment will be addressed later.
God Punishes Judah
Assyria carried Israel and the promises of the Birthright into captivity. Israel never returned to the land of their fathers. Judah continued to sin in the eyes of God but their national punishment was still 130 years away. What finally caused their national captivity was Sabbath breaking and idolatry. It is recorded in Jeremiah 17 why they were punished like Israel had been.
Jeremiah 17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; 2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3 O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. 5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. 12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the Earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. 14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. 15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. 16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. 17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. 18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. 19 Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: 21 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. 24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; 25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD. 27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
In the Book of Jeremiah, the first few chapters are devoted to his ministry in warning the Jews of their impending invasion and captivity unless they would repent. But they would not repent. Finally, the invasion came. The first siege was in 604 BC. On the exact date corresponding to December 9th (as calculated by the Roman calendar) Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem, taking it captive. However, he did not at once drive out all the Jews. He did not even drive out their king, Jehoiakim, but made him a vassal king, the servant of Nebuchadnezzar. As such, he continued on his throne, as did two more kings after him, Jehoiachin, his son, and Zedekiah, his brother, until the year 585 BC.
2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 4 And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. 5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.
8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
In that year, Zedekiah's 11th year as king, the Chaldean armies again besieged Jerusalem. The city was broken up, the palace and temple destroyed and all the sons of King Zedekiah were killed before his eyes. Thus, there would be no man to carry on his dynasty because all the princes of Judah were killed. King Zedekiah's eyes were put out, and he was bound in chains and carried to Babylon where he died. All of this is recorded in II Kings 25, II Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 39, and 52.
2 Kings 25:1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. 5 And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. 6 So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 and they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon. 8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: 9 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. 11 Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. 12 But the captain of the guard left of the door of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. 13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16 The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work. 18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: 20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: 21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land. 22 And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler. 23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. 25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. 26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees. 27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; 28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; 29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. 30 And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
2 Chronicles 36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. 5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. 11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. 13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel. 14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. 22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the Earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Jeremiah 39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. 3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. 5 But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. 6 Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. 8 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. 10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. 11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, 12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee. 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes; 14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people. 15 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 52:1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. 5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. 7 Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. 8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. 10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. 12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, 13 And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: 14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. 15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen. 17 Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. 18 The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away. 20 The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 21 And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. 22 And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these. 23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about. 24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 25 He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. 26 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land. 28 This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty: 29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: 30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. 31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison. 32 And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. 34 And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
Two
important things happened concerning the history of Judah. After the death of
King Zedekiah, not only was Judah in captivity, but also there was no man left
to be King. At this point in history it appears God's promise to David had
been broken. The other important note of history is that after 70 years, the
Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and the land of Palestine. By that
time, the nation of Israel had been in captivity over 200 years and their
identity had become lost.
Those who returned to Palestine to rebuild the Temple and restore the proper worship of God were all of the house of Judah, all Jews, descendants of the ones Nebuchadnezzar had carried away 70 years before. They returned again "unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city" (Ezra 2:1). Only those of the tribe of Judah, together with remnants of Benjamin and Levi, who constituted the house of Judah, returned at that time. "Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites" (Ezra 1:5)
It was this return and the rebuilding of the temple that allowed Christ, as a man, to come to a nation called Israel that had a temple. But the nation of Israel that Jesus was born into was only composed of three of the tribes of the original thirteen. This is why Christ spoke of the lost house of Israel.
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Because Judah had been punished for Sabbath breaking, the rebuilt nation had laws concerning Sabbath breaking that were very strict and got even stricter as time went on. What began with good intentions during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah became the burdensome legalism of the Pharisees during the time of Christ.
During the time of Christ, there was a King on the throne in Judea, King Herod, but he was not a descendant of David, he was a vassal King allowed by the Romans to administer local laws. Where was the King that was a descendant of David? When would God finally keep the Birthright promises of a nation and a company of nations?
Summary:
· After the death of Solomon, Israel was divided into two nations, Israel and Judah
· Because of their sins, in 721 BC, God allowed Assyria to conquer and remove Israel from their land, to which they never returned
· Israel lost their language and their identity as their captivity went on
· Because of their sins, God punished the nation of Judah with the armies of King Nebuchadnezzar and carried them away into captivity
· The last descendant of David to sit on the throne in Judah, was King Zedekiah in 585 BC
· King Zedekiah and all of his sons were killed
· After 70 years, the people of Judah returned to their homeland and rebuilt the temple and their nation
· The nation Jesus was born into was composed only of Jews (descendants of Judah, Benjamin and Levi), not the entire nation of Israel
· Christ spoke of the lost house of Israel during his ministry
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Jeremiah and the Throne of David
From God's perspective there were never any paradoxes. As far as the Birthright promises goes, God still had plenty of time to keep his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He never said when he would keep those promises. The promises God made David are a different matter. If one generation of David's descendants ever died out, the promise would be broken.
Jeremiah 33:19-21 Thus saith the lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne"
God made this promise through the prophet Jeremiah. It was very appropriate that he did so. It was through the prophet Jeremiah that God made sure the promise to David was kept.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations
Jeremiah
wasn't just a prophet to a nation (singular), he was a prophet to nations
(plural). Jeremiah was first called as a young lad of 17. Before he finally
completed the work God gave him, he was an old white-haired man. The work God
gave him to do is recorded in Jeremiah 1:10: See, I have this day set
thee over the nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to
destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jeremiah was set over the nations of Judah and Israel. He was set over them to tear down something, and to build and to plant something.
He was also used by God to warn Judah of a coming invasion and captivity at the hands of Babylon unless they repented of their sins. God used Babylon and Jeremiah to tear down the kingdom of Judah and the throne of David within that nation.
God also commanded Jeremiah to plant and to build. What did he plant and build? The throne of David was "rooted out" and replanted elsewhere. According to history the last king to sit on the throne of David was Zedekiah of Judah. According to history, the throne ceased in Judah in the year 585 BC, almost 600 years before Christ
But God did not forget his covenant with David. God used Jeremiah to replant the throne of David among lost Israel.[1]
Jeremiah's Commission
After Jeremiah fulfilled his commission to throw down Judah, God used him to build up. God sent him to the lost house of Israel. Even though Jeremiah went into captivity with Judah, God saw to it that he escaped captivity.
Jeremiah 40:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon. 2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. 3 Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. 4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go. 5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go. 6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
Why did Jeremiah go to Mizpah?
Now
this Gedeliah had been made governor over a remnant of Jews in the land by the
king of Babylon, and since Jerusalem was destroyed, had made Mizpah his
headquarters. But the king of Ammon plotted with a Jew named Ishmael to
assassinate Gedeliah. The plot was executed, the governor, and part of the
Jews, were slain. Jeremiah was among the survivors.
"Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard (from Babylon) had committed to Gedeliah … and carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites" (Jer. 41:10).
Among these Jews were the king's daughters. Daughters of Zedekiah, King of Judah and of David's dynasty.
King Zedekiah had died. All his sons had been killed. All the princes of Judah had been killed. All possible heirs to David's throne had been killed — except the kings' daughters. This is why Jeremiah went to Mizpah.[2]
Bible Scholars have speculated that Jeconiah kept David's lineage alive. Christ even traced his lineage back to David and Abraham through Jeconiah's line.
Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Does this solve the paradox? God told Jeremiah that Jeconiah would not have a son as King on the throne of David..
Jeremiah 22:24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim [Jeconiah] king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence…30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
Even though Christ traced his Davidic Lineage back through Jeconiah, this still does not solve the paradox of the Davidic Covenant. History records that after Jeremiah was released from Babylon with the Royal daughters, that he and his assistant Baruch traveled to Egypt. The leader of the group that Jeremiah, Baruch and the King's daughters were with did not heed the warnings from God. Most of the party in Egypt died by the sword just as God had warned. Only Jeremiah and those in his charge escaped.
Jeremiah 42:7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. 8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, 9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; 10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. 13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, 14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
Had they obeyed God and not gone to Egypt, perhaps the tale would have ended there, for God said; then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up. For whatever reason, they disobeyed God and went to Egypt anyway.
After going to Egypt, God warned them again by Jeremiah that they would die there by the sword and famine, and "none shall return but such as shall escape." (Jer. 44:12-14). Some of them were under divine protection. "Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah" (Jer. 44:28). Jeremiah, Baruch, and the royal daughters escaped and returned to the land of Judah. Bible history stops here on the travels of Jeremiah. Wherever Jeremiah went, there was no one to take the tale back to the people of Palestine. The rest of the story requires sifting through the clues of prophecy and secular history.
Clues and Hints
All known solutions explored up to now haven't solved the paradox. The unconditional promise to David still has to be kept. The only hope left is Jeremiah and the royal daughters. Isaiah records a prophecy that allows a faint trail to be picked up.
Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.
This remnant refers to Jeremiah and the princesses of Zedekiah traveling with him. Taking root and bearing fruit is symbolic of children. Where did they go? Since history shows that David's lineage is no longer in Judah, then the only place left for the throne of David to continue would be the lost house of Israel. Find the lost tribes of Israel and there the remnant will be found. The princesses with Jeremiah were descendants of King David. Find where they were transplanted and there the throne of David will also be found. The Davidic Covenant and the Birthright Promises are combined! A hint is given in Psalms. In this Psalm, God is talking about King David.
Psalm 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 4 Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. …20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: 21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. … 24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.
When
the word "hand" is translated in Verse 21 and Verse 25,
it is translated from the Hebrew word yad. This word, though translated
literally as hand, means symbol of power. It is sometimes
translated as the word consecrate or sign. A
throne is the symbol (sign) of power and a King is consecrated of God. The
prophecy says that someday David's Throne will be placed in the sea.
Even though the Bible doesn't directly say that Jeremiah traveled to the lost tribes of Israel, The Bible records God gave Jeremiah several prophecies to deliver to Israel. At the time Jeremiah received these prophecies, he was with the people of Judah! When God gave warnings to Judah through Jeremiah they were always addressed to Judah or Jerusalem. When God warned Israel, it could only mean Ephraim and Manasseh who had been given the name Israel at the death of Jacob. Where did God tell Jeremiah Israel was?
Jeremiah 31:7 For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. 9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
This prophecy is directed to Israel in the wilderness. Verse 2 Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. This prophecy proclaims God's intention to someday bring them back to their homeland. This will be accomplished at the return of Christ. God addresses Ephraim (promised to become a company of nations) directly and says he will bring scattered Israel from the coasts and from the islands. Another clue is that he will bring them from the north. North means north from Jerusalem. Are there other clues that talk about Israel and where they can be found? Another hint is in Hosea 12:1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: An East wind travels west.
Through Isaiah, God also prophesied of a time when Israel would be gathered again.
Isaiah 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. …5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. 6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. 8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
In the Hebrew, the language in which this was originally inspired, there is no word for "northwest," but the phrase "the north and the west" designates it. Literally, it means the northwest.
God also spoke of Ephraim through the prophet Hosea.
Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. 3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. 5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, and the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return. 6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels. 7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. 8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. 9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. 10 They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. 11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD. 12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.
This prophecy addresses Ephraim who was taken by the Assyrian sword. God will gather them and they shall tremble from the west.
Figure 2
Ephraim is from the north, from the west, from the northwest and in the sea and on islands. If one takes a map and draws a line from Jerusalem to the Northwest, the islands in the sea northwest of Jerusalem are the Islands of Britain! Jeremiah and the daughters of the Royal Seed went to Britain. The proof is available in recorded history that tracks the lost ten tribes of Israel from Palestine to Britain.
Summary:
· Even though King Zedekiah and his sons were killed, his daughters were spared
· God allowed the prophet Jeremiah to escape captivity with his assistant Baruch and the King's daughters
· God used Jeremiah to re-establish the throne of David among the lost houses of Israel
· Prophecies reveal that the people of Ephraim traveled north west of Jerusalem and lived on islands
Figure 3
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The Markers of History
The House of Israel is the Covenant People. The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "beriyth," or "berith." After Gideon's death, Israel followed the false pagan god Baal. In Judges 8:33, and 9:4, the word "covenant" is used as a proper name coupled with the name "Baal." This is quoted in the English text, Authorized Version, without being translated, as "Baal-berith," meaning (margin "idol of the covenant.")
The Hebrew for "man" is "iysh," or "ish." In the original Hebrew language vowels were never given in the spelling. So, omitting the vowel "e" from "berith," but retaining the "i" in its Anglicized form to preserve the "y" sound, we have the Anglicized Hebrew word for covenant, "Brith."
The Hebrews, however, never pronounced their "h's." A Jew, even today, in pronouncing the name "Shem," will call it "Sem." Incidentally this ancient Hebrew trait is also a modern British trait. They leave off their "h's" where they belong, and often put them in where they do not belong — and this very habit comes from their ancient Hebrew ancestry. So the Hebrew word for "covenant" would be pronounced, in its Anglicized form, as "Brit." And the word for "Covenant man," or "covenant people," would, therefore, be simply, "BRIT-ISH." And so the true covenant people today are called the "BRITISH." And they reside in the "BRITISH ISLES."[3]
The House of Israel not only was to lose its identity, but its name. It was to be called by a new name, since they no longer were to know their identity as Israel, as God said plainly in Isa. 62:2, referring to these latter days.
Isaiah 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
To Abraham, God said, "In ISAAC shall the seed be called," and this name is repeated in Romans 9:7 and Hebrews 11:18. In Amos 7:16 they are called "The House of ISAAC."
They were descended from Isaac, and therefore are Isaac's sons. Drop the "I" from "Isaac," (vowels are not used in Hebrew spelling), and we have the modern name, "SAAC'S SONS," or as we spell it in shorter manner, "SAXONS." Dr. W. Holt Yates, Yale University, says "The word 'Saxons' is derived from 'sons of Isaac,' by dropping the prefix 'I'."[4]
When Israel (Jacob) prophesied about his son Dan, he said: Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. (Gen. 49:16) Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. One of the interesting things about the people from the tribe of Dan is that everywhere they went they named the land after their patriarch Dan. This trait is documented in Joshua and Judges.
Joshua 19:47 And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
Judges 18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. 12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.… 28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein. 29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
Hebrew,
vowels are not written. The sound of the vowels is supplied in speaking. The
word "Dan" as an English equivalent would be spelled "Dn."
It could be pronounced as "Dan," or "Den," or
"Din," or "Don," or "Dun,"
and, according Hebrew grammar, it is still the same original Hebrew name.
The tribe of Dan occupied two different areas or districts in Israel before the Assyrian invasion. One group lived on the seacoast of Jerusalem. It is recorded that "Dan abode in ships."(Judges 5:17) After Assyria captured Israel, the Danites fled in their ships and sailed west through the Mediterranean, and north to Ireland. Moses prophesied of Dan: "Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan" (Deut. 33:22). And David said of Dan, "He breaketh the ships of Tarshish with an East Wind." An East wind travels west. Along the Mediterranean Sea, history records "Dens," "Don," and "Din." In the Peninsula of Spain their name, "Medinasidonia" can still be found.
Ancient Irish history records that early settlers of Ireland, were the "Tuatha de Danaans," which means, translated, "Tribe of Dan." In Ireland the Dans left their name at "Danslaugh," "Dansower," "Dundalke," "Dundrum," "Donegal Bay," "Donegel City," "Dunglow," "Londonderry," Dingle," "Dunsmore," (meaning "more Dans,")
Another interesting coincidence is that Dan was a judge of Israel. "Dan shall judge his people" (Gen. 49:16). The name "Dunn" in the Irish language means the same as "Dan" in the Hebrew: "Judge!"
But the northern colony of Danites were taken to Assyria in the captivity, and thence with the rest of the Ten Tribes they traveled from Assyria by the overland route.
After leaving Assyrian captivity, they inhabited for some time the land just west of the Black Sea. This we know from the fact this land is bounded on the south by Mace-don-ia and the Dar-dan-ells, and on the north by the river Dan-ube. Then we find the rivers "Dnieper, Dnister, and the Don."
Then in either ancient or later geography, we find these waymarks" Dan-au, the Dan-inn, the Dan-aster, the Dan-dari, the Dan-ez, and Don, the Dan, and the U-Don; the Eri-don, down to the Danes, and the Scan-din-navians. "Denmark" means "Dan's Mark."
When they came to the British Isles, they set up the "waymark" names of Dun-dee, Dun-kirk, Dun-bar, Dun-raven, in Scotland, and E-din-burgh is it capital. The British capital is Lon-don, and the Dans, Dons, and Duns are as prolific as in Ireland. And so the "serpent's trail" of Dan sets up waymarks that lead directly to the British Isles.[5]
In 1945, the King of England at the time was King George. By researching into Ireland's history one finds a legend that speaks of a man whose description sounds very similar to the prophet Jeremiah and his companion Baruch. What this man brought to Ireland has been used in the coronation ceremonies of everyone who has ever worn the crown of England including Queen Elizabeth..
Now briefly let us consider what is found in the ancient annals, legends, and history of Ireland, and we shall have the scene of Jeremiah's "planting," and the present location of "lost" Israel.
The real ancient history of Ireland is rather vague, now colored with some legend. But, with the facts of biblical history and prophecy in mind one can easily sift out the legend from the true history in studying ancient Irish annals. Throwing out that which is obviously legendary, we glean from various histories of Ireland the following:
About, or prior to 700 BC, a strong colony called "Tuatha de Danaan" (tribe of Dan) arrived in ships, drove out other tribes, and settled there.
Later, about 585 BC, (date of Jeremiah's transplanting), an elderly white-haired patriarch, sometimes referred to as a "saint," came to the most northern province of Ireland, Ulster. With him was the princess daughter of an eastern king and a companion called "Simon Brach," spelled in different histories as "Breck," "Barech," "Brach." "Berach," etc. The princess had a Hebrew name, "Tephi," — a pet-name, her full name being "Tea-Tephi."
This royal party brought with them some remarkable things including the harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called "Lia-Fail," or "stone of destiny." A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way — and it still is "lia-fail."
Another strange coincidence — or is it just coincidence? — is that every king in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England has been coronated sitting over this stone, — including the present king. The stone rests, today, in Westminster Abbey in London, and the Coronation Chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it "Jacob's pillar-stone" (Gen. 28:18).
The Hebrew princess was married to a young prince named Herremon, after which he became King Herremon, of ancient Ireland. The son of this king and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland, and this same dynasty has continued unbroken, through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of King George of Great Britain.[6]
God kept his promise to David. Britain's monarchy is descended from David. God used Jeremiah to uproot the throne of David from Judah and transplanted it via the daughters of Zedekiah to Ephraim, which is modern day Britain. Can we know for sure that Ephraim is Britain?
Summary:
· The word "British" drives its origin from the Hebrew phrase "covenant people," which describes Ephraim
· The word "Saxons" derives its origin from the phrase "Isaac's Sons"
· Because the tribe of Dan almost always named places they visited after their patriarch Dan, they left a trail of names that tracks them from the shores of Israel to the island of Ireland
· The legends of Ireland include a description of a saint with a description fitting Jeremiah arriving at a northern province of Ireland at about the same time the Bible records his commission from God to replant the throne of David among the lost house of Israel
· The saint arrived in Ireland with a companion that had a name similar to Jeremiah's assistant Baruch
· The saint also arrived with a princess from the east
· Legend has it that the saint brought a rock called "Jacob's pillar stone" on which all of the Kings of the United Kingdom have been coronated
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The 2,520 Year Old Coincidence
When Israel was prophesying about his twelve sons, just before he died, he made an interesting statement about Joseph. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. (Genesis 49:22-26)
The blessing Israel passed on to his grandsons promised one would be a great nation and another would be a group of nations. Is the language, a fruitfull bough whose branches run over the wall, symbolic language of the prophesied two nations? Have there ever been two nations that fulfill these promises? The answer lies in a 2,520-year-old coincidence. In Leviticus God promised a punishment for the nation of Israel's disobedience.
Leviticus 26: 18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. … 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; 28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
What does being punished seven times mean? If a nation is taken into slavery once and never returns it is only punished once. In prophetic language, "times" refers not to the number of events but is symbolic of a length of time. Ancient Israel, during the time of Moses, knew from national experience what the phrase "times" meant when God was discussing national punishment. After Israel left Egypt, but before they entered into the Promised Land, an event occurred that caused them to be delayed in entering the Promised Land. The story is in recounted in Numbers:13 and 14.
Numbers 13:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. 3 And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. 4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua. 17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: 18 And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; 20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. 21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. 22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. 24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. 25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Numbers 14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. 11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? 12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. 13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. 17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, 18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. 20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me. 30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. 32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. 35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. 36 And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, 37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. 39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned. 41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper. 42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you. 44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
Numbers 13 and 14 give the account of Moses sending twelve men, one from each tribe, to spy out the Promised Land. Ten of the spies brought back an evil report that discouraged the people and caused them to refuse to enter the land. God was greatly displeased with the people's lack of faith. The spies were gone forty days. The punishment was that Israel would wander in the wilderness for forty years. The principal was a year for a day: After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise
Israel knew what "times" meant in the warning in Leviticus. There is another example of "times" in the Bible that sheds light on what "seven times" meant for the punishment of Israel. In Revelations "times" is equivalent to a year.
Revelation 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months [42x30=1,260 days]. 3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [1,260 days], clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time [three and a half times = three and a half years or 1,260 days], from the face of the serpent.
The Hebrew Calendar has 360 days in it. (12 x 30 = 360). Seven times 360 days equals 2,520. Another way to calculate it is seven times would be double three times and a half. (1,260 + 1,260 = 2,520) However it is calculated, God promised Israel a national punishment lasting 2,520 years because of the year for a day principal. A modern way of saying it would be, "God grounded Israel for 2,520 years."
If God kept his promise to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, then 2,520 years after Israel went into captivity, history should record two nations that fulfilled the Birthright Promises and there should be two nations, one an individual yet great nation, and another a company of nations.
The math is fairly easy. Israel went into captivity in 721 BC. 2,520 - 720 = 1800. The reason 720 is subtracted instead of 721 is because there is no year zero from BC to AD. If God kept his promises, history should show some interesting developments for two countries starting around the year 1800 AD.
Summary:
· When God promised to punish Israel seven times for its sins, that was prophetic language for 2,520 years, (7 x 360 = 2,520) using the year for a day principal
· After the 2,520 years was up, God was obligated by his own promise to Abraham to keep the birthright promises of making his descendants a great nation and a company of nations
· Israel's national punishment began in the year 721 BC
· 2,520 years from 721 BC would be the year 1800 AD
· History should record a great nation and a company of nations tracing the roots of their greatness to the year 1800 AD
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Birthright Promises Fulfilled
In 1800, the United States of America and Britain were not super powers. The U.S. was only 24 years old and had 16 states, all on the east coat. Britain was composed of some islands and a couple of colonies in India and Canada. Neither had plans for world dominance. These countries were not aware of their true identity. Neither were they aware that a 2,520-year-old moratorium on promises made to Abraham was about to be lifted.
Britain: A Company of Nations
Within a few decades of the year 1800, the British flag flew all over the world in the largest empire the world had ever seen. Britain was truly a company of nations.
With the end, in 1815, of the Napoleonic Wars, the last of the great imperial wars which had dominated the eighteenth century, Britain found itself in an extraordinarily powerful position, though a complicated one. It acquired Dutch South Africa, for example, but found its interests threatened in India by the southern and eastern expansion of the Russians. (The protection of India from the Russians, both by land and by sea, would be a major concern of Victorian foreign policy). At this time, however, the empires of Britain's traditional rivals had been lost or severely diminished in size, and its imperial position was unchallenged. In addition, it had become the leading industrial nation of Europe, and more and more of the world came under the domination of British commercial, financial, and naval power.[7]
Between 1870 and 1900 the formal Empire expanded to occupy an area of 4 million square miles, despite the lack of coherent imperial policies. Yet there is no simple explanation as to why such expansion took place during this period…[8]
The expanse of the British Empire was so grand and happened so quickly, with so little effort on the part of the Britains, that historians find it difficult to explain how or why it happened. During the 19th century, Britain came to possess territory in every corner of the earth. The 19th century was Britain's century. In a remarkable short amount of time the British people found themselves ruling over a mighty empire. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire was the largest empire in the history of the world, controlling nearly a quarter of the landmass of the Earth, and a quarter of its population.
The empire would continue to expand. "It continued to grow until 1933, when its area was 13.9 million square miles and its population 493 million ... The Roman Empire in its prime comprised perhaps 120 million people in an area of 2.5 million square miles."[9]
The Gate of His Enemies
…and thy seed shall possess the gate(s) of His enemies (Gen. 22:17)
Did Britain posses the gates of his enemies? Gates, in this context, are sea gates. Controlling a sea gate gives the possessor a strategic naval advantage. Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Suez, Aden, the Maldive Islands, Ceylon, Singapore and Hong Kong were sea gates controlled by Great Britain for over two centuries. Bermuda was one of the first sea gates to be acquired by the British crown. Bermuda is still a British possession. In the west were Britain's island properties in the Caribbean. The Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic enabled the Royal Navy to control the area around Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America. St. Helena, Ascension Island, the Cape of Good Hope around South Africa, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Diego Garcia were all strategically located portals that controlled key ocean passages around the globe, granting the British people unrivaled dominance of the seas.
Two of the turning points in the decline and fall of the British Empire were the loss of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942 and the loss of the Suez Canal to Egypt 14 years later.
Figure 4
The United States: A Powerful Nation
The British Empire grew quickly after 1800, but America grew even faster. By 1853, the United States went from 16 states on the East Coast, to owning all of the land now covered by the 48 contiguous states. A large part of this was due to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In one day, the size of the United States' territory doubled to include two thirds of the land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
In 1800, the population of North America was only 0.7% of the entire world population. By the end of 1900 the number had ballooned up to 5% of the world population. Most of these people lived in the United States of America.
In 1867, the United States bought Alaska for about 2 cents an acre. For a little over 7 million dollars, America came to own one of the richest areas in the world considering the gold and oil there.
Because of the incredible natural resources such as fertile ground, metals and oil, the American people are blessed with riches never seen before in history. They truly own "the fat of the land and the dew of the Earth."
Figure 5
By 1945, the United States was undisputedly the most powerful nation on Earth. Such national greatness could only come from God.
"And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that croucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the Earth and the fullness thereof, … let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh). … His glory is like the firstling (first-born — Birthright holder) of the bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns (Great Britain's national seal today): with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the Earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh" (Deut. 33:13-17).
The descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh today must be in possession of the Earth's choicest agricultural, mineral, gold and silver mines, iron, oil, and coal, timber and other resources. What nations fulfill these prophecies? Great Britain and the United States of America fulfill these prophecies!
The US also had a gate of its enemies when it controlled the Panama Canal for almost a century.
Roosevelt was promoting neither a commercial venture nor a universal utility. To him, first, last, and always, the canal was the vital-the indispensable-path to a global destiny for the United States of America. He had a vision of his country as a commanding power on two oceans, and these joined by a canal built, owned, operated, policed, and fortified by his country. The canal was to be the first step to American supremacy at sea.[10]
The United States and Britain fulfill the Birthright promises of a great nation and a company of nations. Both countries own, or did own, the gates of their enemies. The throne of David is seated in Britain. Christ was born in the house of Judah as promised. When Christ returns there is a throne of David for him to ascend to. God has kept the unbreakable promises made to Abraham and David. The mysteries of the lost ten tribes of Israel are solved, and the United States and Britain are now identified in the prophecies of Bible.
Summary:
· No other nations, besides the United States and Britain, qualify to fulfill the Birthright Promises that God made to Abraham
· No other nations, besides the United States and Britain, have owned or controlled all of the major sea gates of the world
· The national greatness of both the United States and Britain began at around the year 1800 AD
· Only Britain has a monarchy that can trace it roots back to King David
· The United States and Britain are the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh
