Two Houses
Sanctify Yhuh of Hosts Himself,
and let Him be your fear; and let Him be your dread. And He shall be for
a sanctuary, and for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of falling to the
two houses of Israel; for a trap and for a snare to the ones living in
Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 8:13-14 LITV)
Introduction
On 12, October 2005 the writer received for the first time the
following word from the Lord "I want you to go and tell My people that
I'm coming soon". When I start to meditate over the word I received I
came to the conclusion that I wasn't sure who His people are!
Then I asked YESHUA to tell me who are your people? After that
the Lord started to answer me in showing me who were His people. I prepared
this study with the purpose to show you what He showed me about this.
Many Scriptures are shown with the purpose to show this truth.
This revelation not only can bring liberty to your life (by knowing the truth
about who Israel is) and can bring the house of faith to a place where their
intercession for Israel will be effective. Even thou this revelation may not be
for all people. May the Spirit be the one that will show you this in all is fullness.
Lets start with a portion of the Scriptures that is talking about
something that is happening today, so we can understand that this issue is
important today.
Revelations 7:1-8
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners
of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not
blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a
loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the
sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have
sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of
them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and
forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe
of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad
were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were
sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve
thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were
sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed
twelve thousand.
As we may know, this prophecy is talking about the end times. The
fact that Israel is composed of many tribes or groups is true even today. It is
good to mention that the list of the tribes revealed in the book of Revelation
is a little different to previous lists that we can find in the Torah. This
list is not mentioning all the groups of the descendents of Israel, it is
mentioning only the groups the Lord is sealing. These are the people that He
sealed for His ministry in this end time. The reason why this list is diferent,
we will explain later on.
In history, division took place among the house of Israel after
the death of King Salomon. There was animosity causing this division since the
times of king David. To make the Scriptures easier to understand, it is important
to know the names of the first two kings after the division took place;
· Jeroboam son of
Nebat was the first king of the kingdom of Israel.
· Rehoboam son of
Salomon was the king over all Israel when the division took place. He was left
with the kingdom of the south, Judah. That was composed from two tribes; Judah
and Binyamin, and also Levi that are not considered a tribe from where the
priests are coming from.
And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's
servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted
up his hand against the king. 27 And this was the cause that he
lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and
repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. 28 And the man Jeroboam was
a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was
industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
(Ezequel 37:15-16 For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim) 29 And it came to pass at
that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the
Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and
they two were alone in the field: 30 And Ahijah caught the new garment
that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: 31 And he said to Jeroboam,
Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I
will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to
thee: 32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for
Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of
Israel:) 33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth
the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the
god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that
which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my
judgments, as did David his father. 1 Kings 11:26-33
The House of Joseph will also be called the house of Israel,
because the northern kingdom was called the Kingdom of Israel, also called
Ephraim because the leading tribe was Ephraim.
How the division took place
1 Kings 12:1-33
And Rehoboam (son of Salomon) 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.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein;
and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart,
Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27 If this people go up to
do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of
this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of
Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 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.
It is also known that Jeroboam changed Shabat, the day of the
Lord instructed in the ten commandments to Sunday for the very first time in
history.
Even thou there were a few faithful ones in the northern kingdom
that keep honoring the Lord, even thou it wasn't the majority. 2Chronicles
11:16
The leader of the tribes of the Kingdom of Judah was Judah. We
can see when Israel sent 12 spies to search the land there were only two that
brought a good report. Caleb from Judah and Yehoshe/Joshua from Ephraim (Oseas
son of Nun). Then later Judah and Ephraim will become the leader tribes.
Now Ephraim was one of the sons of Joseph, he was not the first
born but he received a special firstborn blessing from Israel (Jacob) before he
died.
Genesis 48:15-20
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.
The seed of Ephraim according to this prophecy has become today a
"Multitude of Nations". The name Ephraim in Hebrew means
"Fruitful". For Judah there is a promise of only one nation.
Even thou this division took place in the past, the prophecies
speak about a day when the two houses will become one as we read;
Ezekiel 37:15-16
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou
son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the
children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it,
For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his
companions:
Ezekiel 37:19
Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the
stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of
Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of
Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
The following prophecy revealed that Judah is helping the seed of
Ephraim against Greece, this is happening today. It is sad to say that the
absolute Greek way of thinking, together with terminology, words and culture
penetrated the good news.
Zacarias 9:13
When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and
raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the
sword of a mighty man.
Today Judah is training Ephraim!
We see in Numbers 10:13,14 and in Judges 20:18b that the Lord has
determined that Judah will always be first.
The Lord warns the kingdom of Israel about a judgement.
1 Kings 13:1-5
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of
the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 And he
cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus
saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah
by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn
incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. 3 And he gave a
sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken;
Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be
poured out. 4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the
man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his
hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth
against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. 5 The
altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the
sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
The Sentence over the House of Israel.
1 Kings 14:15-16
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.
We need to understand that one of the consequences of
disobedience is to be scattered among the nations as the Torah said in
Leviticus 26:33, 26:40-42.
The Kingdom of Israel is taken captive.
2 Kings 17:1-23 (about 700 BC)
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of
Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. 2 And he did that which was
evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before
him. 3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his
servant, and gave him presents. 4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in
Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present
to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king
of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. 5 Then the king of Assyria
came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three
years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, anoxd
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. 19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but
walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the LORD rejected all
the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of
spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. 21 For he rent Israel from
the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam
drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin. 22 For the
children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they
departed not from them; 23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as
he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of
their own land to Assyria unto this day.
Lo Ammi-Not my people Prophesy.
Even thou the Lord judged and rejected the northern kingdom of
Israel, there is still a promise for the ten tribes of Israel, we can
understand this from the following prophecy.
Hosea 1:1-11
The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the
days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the
days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2 The beginning of the word
of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of
whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great
whoredom, departing from the LORD. 3 So he went and took Gomer the
daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 4 And the LORD said
unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will
avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the
kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I
will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. 6 And she conceived
again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name
Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will
utterly take them away. 7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and
will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by
sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. 8 Now when she had weaned
Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. 9 Then said God, Call his name
Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea,
which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that
in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there
it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. 11
Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered
together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of
the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
The one head appointed by the children of Judah and the house of
Israel is the King YESHUA. The remnant of Israel is one in Messiah, this is a
fact.
Judgement and sentence over Judah
Jeremiah 25:11-12 (To the kingdom of Judah)
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an
astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that
I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their
iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual
desolations.
The Lord revealed that the reason why Ephraim and Dan are not
included in the sealed people mentioned in Revelations 7, is because of the two
altars that where set up by Jeroboam contrary to the only Temple in Jerusalem.
The one in Beit El, where the tribe of Ephraim was at that time and the other
one in Tel Dan, where the tribe of Dan were the two contrary to the one Temple.
Now the Lord has always kept a faithful remnant for Him, and all
prophecies about Israel should be fulfilled only by the remnant!
YESHUA was revealing this mystery about the house Israel when He
commanded the disciples to go to the lost sheep.
Mathew 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of
the house of Israel.
Mathew 10:6
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The message of repentance and forgiveness of sins is first to the
house of Israel, this doesn't mean there's no salvation for others.
Ezekiel 37:21 LITV
And say to them, So says the
Lord Yhuh: Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations, there
where they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and will bring them
into their own land.
Finally, I want to share with you that all prophecies about the
return are for all the tribes of Israel, not only the tribe of Judah. The Lord
promises that all of them will come back to the land; but pay attention, that
the Lord is talking about the remnant of Israel!
Ezekiel 39:28-29
Then shall they know that I am
the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the
heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of
them any more there. 29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for
I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
Zechariah 8:13 LITV
And it shall be, as you were a curse among the nations, O house of
Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do
not fear; let your hands be made strong.
Diagram of the Tribes of Israel.
Note: Unless otherwise indicated the verses from the Bible are in "light blue" and taken from the translation called "The King
James Version 1769", the literal translations are in "dark blue", the Name YESHUA has been kept in his original Hebrew
form, the Greek word Christos has been kept as Messiah his real meaning.
(*) The expression "the LORD" has been kept
also in his original form of four Hebrew letters, in English Yhuh where
"U" is a "long U", this is the transliteration of the
Hebrew letter "Vav", that YESHUA in His big mercy has revealed to us
was the old way of pronouncing.
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