06-23-2010, 08:44 AM
DEUTERONOMY 24:1 "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man's wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance." (NKJV)
ROMANS 7:1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the Law), that the Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the Law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (NKJV) As Paul clearly states, this Law ceases to apply if the husband dies.
Therefore, Yeshua's death on the cross caused this law against remarriage to no longer be applicable. Now, after his resurrection, Yeshua the Messiah is legally able to marry the House of Israel once again.The New Testament carries forward the theme of the reconciliation of Judah and Ephraim.
It is surprising how frequently this topic appears in the writings of the apostles and how integral it is to the gospel message. After the seeming "disappearance" of the House of Israel into the nations, the House of Judah (the Jews) once again became known biblically as "Israel." They were the only visible portion of God's people left.
The House of Judah was and is God's lawgiver (Gen. 49:10; Psa. 60:7; 108:8); they had, and continue to have, a major part in the plan the Almighty is accomplishing. As a whole, only the House of Judah has continued to keep God's Sabbaths, which we saw in Exodus 31 is the sign He gave to distinguish His people from the rest of the nations (or "Gentiles"). Because of this sign, the Jews alone have been recognized as God's covenant people down to this day.
However, Ephraim and the tribes associated with him lost their identity. They were absorbed into the nations to which they were scattered. But these so-called "lost tribes" were not lost to God.
He knew then, and knows now, EXACTLY where they are, as the prophet Amos tells us: AMOS 9:8 "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the House of Jacob," says the LORD. 9 For surely I will command, and will sift the House of Israel among all nations [b'kal hagoyim], as grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground." (NKJV) Most people don't realize that the Bible is only written TO and ABOUT Israel.
"Most people don't realize that the Bible is only written TO and ABOUT Israel."
Other nations are discussed only as they come into contact with or effect God's chosen people. According to Yeshua himself, he was only sent to Israel when he came the first time:
MATTHEW 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. (NKJV)
MATTHEW 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (NKJV) In the 10th chapter of John's Gospel, Yeshua states that part of his duties included gathering another "flock" besides the Jews:
JOHN 10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (NKJV) Here Yeshua tells his disciples that he had other sheep that he was responsible for, in addition to the targeted Jews.
Because most Christians aren't familiar with the large number of Old Testament prophecies which speak of the Messiah's responsibility in reuniting the two houses (Israel and Judah), they assume that he was referring to those unrelated people from the nations ("Gentiles") who would thereafter come into the "church."But to properly understand the Bible, one must base their understanding of the New Testament on the foundation of the Old Testament.
When this is done, it is clear that Yeshua was speaking of those who were at that time still scattered among the nations, the lost sheep of Ephraim.
These sheep had forgotten their identity and thought they were Gentiles. But Yeshua knew who (and where) they were, and as the Old Testament prophecies show over and over again, it was his divinely sanctioned job to retrieve them for the Father.
A prophetic passage in the next chapter of John confirms this: JOHN 11:47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this man works many signs. 48 If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the
Romans will come and take away both our place and nation." 49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation [Judah], 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad [i.e., the northern kingdom of Israel]. 53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 54
Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. (NKJV) Yeshua didn't just die for the Jews, but also for those "children of God who were scattered abroad." Anyone who knows the history of Israel as revealed in the Old Testament knows that those children who were scattered abroad (by God Himself) were the lost House of Israel.
It's interesting (and prophetic) that right after this prophecy was given, Yeshua went into a city called Ephraim, which is also the symbolic name for the children of God who had been scattered into all nations.
ROMANS 7:1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the Law), that the Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the Law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (NKJV) As Paul clearly states, this Law ceases to apply if the husband dies.
Therefore, Yeshua's death on the cross caused this law against remarriage to no longer be applicable. Now, after his resurrection, Yeshua the Messiah is legally able to marry the House of Israel once again.The New Testament carries forward the theme of the reconciliation of Judah and Ephraim.
It is surprising how frequently this topic appears in the writings of the apostles and how integral it is to the gospel message. After the seeming "disappearance" of the House of Israel into the nations, the House of Judah (the Jews) once again became known biblically as "Israel." They were the only visible portion of God's people left.
The House of Judah was and is God's lawgiver (Gen. 49:10; Psa. 60:7; 108:8); they had, and continue to have, a major part in the plan the Almighty is accomplishing. As a whole, only the House of Judah has continued to keep God's Sabbaths, which we saw in Exodus 31 is the sign He gave to distinguish His people from the rest of the nations (or "Gentiles"). Because of this sign, the Jews alone have been recognized as God's covenant people down to this day.
However, Ephraim and the tribes associated with him lost their identity. They were absorbed into the nations to which they were scattered. But these so-called "lost tribes" were not lost to God.
He knew then, and knows now, EXACTLY where they are, as the prophet Amos tells us: AMOS 9:8 "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the House of Jacob," says the LORD. 9 For surely I will command, and will sift the House of Israel among all nations [b'kal hagoyim], as grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground." (NKJV) Most people don't realize that the Bible is only written TO and ABOUT Israel.
"Most people don't realize that the Bible is only written TO and ABOUT Israel."
Other nations are discussed only as they come into contact with or effect God's chosen people. According to Yeshua himself, he was only sent to Israel when he came the first time:
MATTHEW 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. (NKJV)
MATTHEW 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (NKJV) In the 10th chapter of John's Gospel, Yeshua states that part of his duties included gathering another "flock" besides the Jews:
JOHN 10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." (NKJV) Here Yeshua tells his disciples that he had other sheep that he was responsible for, in addition to the targeted Jews.
Because most Christians aren't familiar with the large number of Old Testament prophecies which speak of the Messiah's responsibility in reuniting the two houses (Israel and Judah), they assume that he was referring to those unrelated people from the nations ("Gentiles") who would thereafter come into the "church."But to properly understand the Bible, one must base their understanding of the New Testament on the foundation of the Old Testament.
When this is done, it is clear that Yeshua was speaking of those who were at that time still scattered among the nations, the lost sheep of Ephraim.
These sheep had forgotten their identity and thought they were Gentiles. But Yeshua knew who (and where) they were, and as the Old Testament prophecies show over and over again, it was his divinely sanctioned job to retrieve them for the Father.
A prophetic passage in the next chapter of John confirms this: JOHN 11:47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this man works many signs. 48 If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the
Romans will come and take away both our place and nation." 49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation [Judah], 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad [i.e., the northern kingdom of Israel]. 53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 54
Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. (NKJV) Yeshua didn't just die for the Jews, but also for those "children of God who were scattered abroad." Anyone who knows the history of Israel as revealed in the Old Testament knows that those children who were scattered abroad (by God Himself) were the lost House of Israel.
It's interesting (and prophetic) that right after this prophecy was given, Yeshua went into a city called Ephraim, which is also the symbolic name for the children of God who had been scattered into all nations.