Lost tribes of Israel

[Benaiah468]

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will G-d bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G-d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess 4:13-18

In the Hellenistic world, parousia was a technical term for the official visit of the emperor or another high official to a provincial town. For political parousia, it was significant that they were announced so that appropriate preparations could be made by the townspeople. The ruler's parousia was answered by apantesis on the part of the townspeople. Both terms are fundamental to the parousia ritual.

In Hellenistic times, when a dignitary (from the government) paid an official visit (parousia) to a city, the leading citizens would go out to welcome him and accompany him on the last leg of his journey. This was called the apantesis.

The word is used in a similar sense in Mt 25:1 .6 and Acts 28:15.

In both passages there are related formations in the Greek text (hypantesin, apantesin).

The Lord is accompanied by His own for the last part of His journey to earth, whereby those who have just been raised from the dead and those who have remained alive are united.

Apantesis means to go out to meet someone who is coming, to meet him on the way and to walk the last stretch of the way back with him. The two biblical passages Mt 25:1ff and Acts 28:15-16 support this interpretation:

For example, the 10 virgins prepare to go and fetch the bridegroom and for this purpose the brothers also go to meet Paul

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom… And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him… And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Mt 25:1ff

And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked G-d, and took courage. And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. Acts 28:15-16

This sufficiently clarifies the movement of the parousia event. At the return of their Lord, the church is allowed to go to meet their Savior and pick him up at his return to earth. The Lord does not “turn a corner” that leads upwards again, so that the Lord would return to heaven. That is not written anywhere in this text! Rather, it is the church that “turns a corner” after it has met the Lord. The church is allowed to go to meet its Lord and King, pick him up and accompany him on his way to earth.

The Ten Tribes who have turned back in faith - still scattered among many nations - will be the bride of the Messiah together with Judah/Benjamin who have become believers. But “the church” also has this claim, even though they also call themselves “the body of Christ”.

How does this fit together?

If you take the word for congregation in the Torah, it is the same word in a Hebrew translation of the NT. Unfortunately, the translators never rendered it that way, so it could give the impression that the congregation (church) is something different from the congregation in the Torah.


Here is a most striking comparison to G-d's primary name in the parousia, which is the return of Christ, who else but the G-d who is Jesus would make such a comparison

YHVH
יְהוָֹה

יְהוָֹה
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
5. ה He 5
Σ 26

Parousia
παρουσια

παρουσια
16. Ππ Pi 80
1. Αα Alpha 1
17. Ρρ Rho 100
15. Οο Omicron 70
20. Υυ Upsilon 400
18. Σσςϲ Sigma 200
9. Ιι lota 10
1. Αα Alpha 1
Σ 862

26+862 = 888

 

[Benaiah468]

If one understands the following, it is not difficult to recognize the connection between Israelites and Gentiles.

The Israelites accomplished a detachment from the ordinances given by G-d. As a consequence, G-d would

And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other g-ds, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even [G-d's of] wood and stone. Deu 28:64

Not only did the Northern Kingdom have to leave the land and was scattered, but G-d made a huge cut: He separated Himself from the Northern Kingdom! He handed over the letter of divorce and was no longer officially considered their husband! It flew out of the covenant that HE had made with His people!

Then said G-d, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your G-d. Hos 1:9

They are now considered a people like any other on earth:

A Gentile nation!

They are also scattered. In all directions on this earth

And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. Ez 36:19

The prophecy, or rather the destiny of Ephraim, is fulfilled in the remotest parts of the world:

The northern kingdom, the ten tribes under the leadership of Ephraim, become the “full number of the nations”. They mix with all the nations of the earth

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Hos 7:8

A people that is no longer a real people will mix with other peoples, and the number of their descendants will be as the sand of the sea!

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; Hos 1:10a


Ruth's name appears 12 times in the book of Ruth and the first 10 times there is no Alef/Tav את symbol (a reference to the 10 lost tribes, the house of Israel)

It only appears before their name after Boaz has redeemed them. This is a clear indication that the Alef/Tav is a mark of the covenant made through Lord Jesus. Ruth was not part of His lineage until Boaz redeemed her.

It is also noteworthy that in Ruth, when she introduces Boaz to her mother-in-law, the name Boaz is replaced by an את which says: And she showed her mother-in-law the אֵת which she had brought with her

And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. Ruth 2:19b
וַתֹּאמֶר֩ לָ֨הּ חֲמֹותָ֜הּ אֵיפֹ֨ה לִקַּ֤טְתְּ הַיֹּום֙ וְאָ֣נָה עָשִׂ֔ית יְהִ֥י מַכִּירֵ֖ךְ בָּר֑וּךְ וַתַּגֵּ֣ד לַחֲמֹותָ֗הּ אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה֙ עִמֹּ֔ו וַתֹּ֗אמֶר שֵׁ֤ם הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשִׂ֧יתִי עִמֹּ֛והַיֹּ֖וםבֹּֽעַז

The letter of divorce was given to the house of Israel because they had committed spiritual adultery

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; Jer 3:8a

The Messiah has arrived and the former northern kingdom may return to the covenant with YHVH. It is news that the lost tribes never dared to dream of. His disciples pass on this gospel, this good news. To all nations

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: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mt 10:5-7

For the house of Israel was scattered among these

And I will scatter you among the heathen, Lev 26:33a

And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; Deu 28:64a

The work of the Father will begin among the scattered tribes

And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again. Zec 10:9

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. John 10:16

The other sheep are all gentiles.

Fulfilling the prophecy of which G-d promised that Ephraim would be allowed back into the (marriage) covenant does not exclude doing good to other people. After all, salvation has also befallen them

That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. Acts 26:23

His people (house of Judah) and the Gentiles (house of Israel), the scattered, the lost, of whom G-d says, not My people! The term Gentiles is in many cases in the NT an idiom for the House of Israel.

Through His miracles, G-d had already caused many Egyptians to want to go out of slavery with the people of Israel, and they did.

His mission was to seek the lost.

He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Lk 11:23... What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Lk 15:4

Who was lost?

The ten tribes.

Where were they?

They had assimilated among the nations of the Gentiles. For example, they lived among the Greeks

Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles [Greek], and teach the Gentiles [Greek]? John 7:35

Josephus, a Jewish historian, writes of millions of descendants of the house of Israel on the other side of the Euphrates

[There] are but two tribes [Judah and Benjamin, plus the Levites] in Asia … subject to the Romans, while the ten tribes are [to be found] beyond the [headwaters of the] Euphrates [even] now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers. S.: Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, bk. 11, ch. 5, sec. 2

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

They are His sheep, His bride, for whom the Bridegroom lays down His life!

 

[Benaiah468]

As we will see the story of Jacob is closely interwoven with the story of Joseph on a prophetic level.

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Gen 37:2

Joseph was Jacob's favorite son, so he made him a special tunic (see Gen 37:3). This tunic was meant to distinguish him as the firstborn among his brothers. And indeed, Joseph, as Jacob's eleventh son, one day found himself in the role of firstborn. For it was he who saved his brothers from certain death by starvation and, as ruler in Egypt, provided them with grain.

In this story we see a parable of Jesus. The firstborn son of the Heavenly Father saves his brothers from certain death in Egypt by leaving his place at the Father's side and coming to the fallen earth (Egypt).

But the connection between Joseph and Jesus becomes even more obvious when we consult the Gematria.

The numerical value of the Hebrew letters of Joseph corresponds to a sum of 156

Yoseph
יוֹסֵף
10. י Yud 10
6. ו Vav 6
15. ס Samech 60
17. פ פּ Pey/Phey 80
∑ 156

However, this sum also applies to words such as Zion or the phrase tent of meeting in the Hebrew text

tsayon (Zion)
צִיוֹן
18. צ Tsadik 90
10. י Yud 10
6. ו Vav 6
14. נ Nun 50
∑ 156

ohel moed (Tent of meeting)
אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
1. א Alef 1
5. ה He 5
12. ל Lamed 30
13. מ Mem 40
6. ו Vav 6
16. ע Ayin 70
4. ד Dalet 4
∑ 156


These two words alone show that there is a strong connection between Joseph and the Messiah, because he too was a living dwelling place of G-d. Thus, in the prophetic image, Joseph represents a kind of bridge over which G-d can dwell in his people.

In this context, it is also understandable why Judah turned to fornication after Joseph was sold (cf. Gen 38) and the whole clan suffered from the subsequent famine. Without Joseph (Jesus), the sons of Israel fell into strife, fornication and idolatry and could not receive the blessing of the Almighty.

But the blessing returned when the people were reunited in the land of Goshen (cf. Gen 47:27).

When Jacob received the news that his beloved son Joseph had died, he tore his clothes and covered himself in sackcloth. The patriarch fell into deep mourning and thought he was already dead, for he said:

I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. Gen 37:35b

Only when Jacob learned that Joseph had survived and was regent in Egypt did his spirit come alive again

And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: Gen 45:27

Consequently, Jacob's life was largely dependent on Joseph's existence. In other words, as long as Joseph was missing, Jacob was dead. If we look at this on a prophetic level, then Jacob (Israel) can only come back to life as a people when Joseph and Judah come together again. The prophet Ezekiel speaks of this in his vision of the dead bones. For this prophecy speaks of the whole house of Israel rising from the dead

Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord G-d; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Ez 37:11-12

Only when the whole house of Israel (Joseph and Judah) are united again can Jacob come to life.

But what part does Judah play in this?

Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. He was far from taking on the role of firstborn. But he was closer to this role than Joseph.

Judah was one of the brothers who took part in the intrigue against Joseph. He was even the one who had the idea of selling Joseph to Egypt

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Gen 37:26-27

Unlike Reuben, who wanted to return Joseph safe and sound to his father, Judah accepted Joseph's death. He was only interested in his own gain and avoiding direct blame for his brother's death. It is therefore not surprising that Judah became involved with the Canaanite woman and Tamar, disguised as a prostitute, one chapter later (cf. Gen 38). Just as Joseph disappeared in Egypt, Judah also disappeared among the Canaanites. Nevertheless, both brothers were still to play an important role in the salvation of Israel

The Hebrew word for Judah is Yehudah and is made up of the following letters:

Yud - He - Vav - Dalet - He

This corresponds to the numerical values:

Yehudah
יְהוּדָה
10. י Yud 10
5. ה He 5
6. ו Vav 6
4. ד Dalet 4
5. ה He 5
∑ 30

The number 30 has great significance in the Bible. It indicates the age at which the priests and Levites were allowed to begin their service on their own responsibility

From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:3

Jesus was also 30 years old when he began his one-year ministry

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Lk 3:23

Furthermore, it was 30 pieces of silver for which Yeshua was betrayed by Judas(!)

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Mt 27:3

Thus the number 30 is associated on the one hand with the traitor and on the other with the Levite. This shows the dual nature of Judah, who on the one hand betrayed Joseph and left him for dead. On the other hand, he took responsibility for Benjamin and gave his life for his younger brother

Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. Gen 44:33

When Judah took responsibility before Joseph, the family of Jacob came back to life. Judah left his role as his brother's traitor and took responsibility. Joseph stepped out of his role as an Egyptian. When both parts were reunited and lived in the land of Goshen, Israel was fruitful and multiplied

And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
Gen 47:27

The tribulation of the famine brought the family together again. And in this unity they were blessed.

It is up to us today to step out of our Egyptian façade and embrace our role as Hebrews. We may gratefully embrace our identity as children of G-d and find our role in the world as ambassadors of the Most High. But for Israel to be complete again, it needs both parts - the priestly 30 of Judah. And as we see in the family history of Jacob, it is ultimately the deeds of Judah that lead to Joseph also being able to leave Egypt. At this time, Judah largely fails to fulfill the role of priest. Judah still banishes Jesus and the brother Joseph from the land. This may be for good intentions, but it is not the goal of G-d's plan.

And so it is our job to prepare ourselves for restoration, to pray for it, and to wait patiently until the time comes when Jesus brings Israel back to life in a body.

 

[Benaiah468]

The doctrine of the Rapture still has a poisonous effect on the lives of many believers today. It goes back to so-called dispensationalism. This is a form of biblical interpretation that emerged around 1830 through the Brethren movement. Rapture essentially states that the Christian community is the new chosen people (and Jews are no longer). This is replacement theology.

Rapture is understood to mean that the Messiah will return one day and take all Christians away from the earth with him. After that, the great tribulation can come, but of course, praise be to the Lord, without us (the Jews will have to go through it again).

In this short statement alone, things like illogic and anti-Semitism stand out.

In addition, important biblical backgrounds such as the divided kingdom of Israel, grafting in, OT end-time prophecies are missing in context (e.g. the tabernacle of David that fell to pieces will be raised up again, i.e. a united kingdom with all 12 tribes in their land) and precisely Hebraic thinking. This always has something to do with deeds.

And that is absolutely contrary to the rapture doctrine, where you can sit back and wait.

If we understand that Judah and Ephraim must become one in the land of Israel, and see that Judah is already there, then the Ephraimites still have a lot to DO! For the majority of them are still scattered all over the world. That means they still have to come back at some point and somehow become one with Judah. A rapture to heaven and after me the flood does not fit into this concept.

The opposite is the case. Judah unfortunately needed a lot of persecution and tribulation to make its way to Israel. Wouldn't it make just as much sense that the great tribulation is there to drive the remaining tribes of Israel home (because most of them won't set out on their own)?

The difference between the Hebrew and the Greek concept of the end times is therefore serious.

In the Hebrew concept, people set out, leave behind what they are used to, come to the Promised Land, settle and cultivate it and seek connection, fellowship and union with Judah. That is pure practice!

In Greek thinking, on the other hand, the Messiah comes, raptures all believers and somehow makes Judah and Ephraim ONE again - preferably by rebuking the others (Judah).

It is also taught that human history was divided into different ages, so that the Torah was valid then but no longer today.

Even if it is still widespread in many churches, the doctrine of the Rapture can therefore be confidently discarded (if only it were that simple).

 

[Benaiah468]

Has the Church replaced Israel?

Scripture makes it clear that replacement theology is at best a misconception and at worst anti-Semitic.

For the early Gentile church fathers, the desolation of Israel in 70 AD and 135 AD could only be possible if G-d had rejected the Jewish people in a final manifestation of his wrath.

Replacement theology was a new theory to make sense of this devastation and the fact that the people of Israel as a whole did not accept Jesus. This new theory of biblical interpretation developed a way of reading the Bible. Passage after passage in the Hebrew Scriptures was read with this in mind: Read church when you read passages that speak of a positive and lasting fulfillment for Israel.

We should note that the opponents of this theology use the term replacement theology, not its proponents. Proponents use the term fulfillment theology or supercessionism (substitution theology), namely that the church has superseded national-ethnic Israel.

After the Nazi Holocaust, most major church organizations officially rejected replacement theology. In fact, this replacement theology was seen as a factor that opened the door to historical anti-Semitism. However, as the impact of the Holocaust has diminished and these churches have been influenced by propaganda about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, replacement theology is on the rise again.

Replacement theology raises the central question of the authority of the Bible and the interpretation of biblical texts. In interpreting these texts, our two guiding questions should be:

What did the author intend to say or what was his meaning?
What would the target audience have understood?

When you read the texts according to the author's intent and the audience's criticism of the promises to Israel, you come to a very clear conclusion:

These texts promise that the people of Israel, later referred to as the Jews, have an election that can never be lost. This is due to the election of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants. Even though there may be punishment and dispersion, this ethnic-national people can never lose its election, but will always continue to exist as a people (Gen 26:44). Furthermore, there are numerous promises to this people which will be fulfilled and which, on an honest examination of history, have not yet been fulfilled.

What about certain texts in the NT? Yes, the NT applies the language of the Hebrew Bible to the Church in relation to Israel. However, this cannot be a replacement, but a supplement. I actually call this complementary theology. In addition to Israel, G-d has a priesthood that he gathers from all peoples who play a similar role to Israel and have similar promises.

Many Christians are told that the NT reinterprets the OT. However, this interpretation is limited to new insights and applications that do not change the original intention of the text.

Furthermore, we should note that replacement theology is not only unnecessary, but also goes against the clearest passage in the NT that speaks of Israel. It is Romans 9-11.

 

[Benaiah468]

There are so many passages that refer to Israel being restored to its own land and entering into a glory that will not pass away. Here are seven of them.


And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy G-d. Amos 9:15

Does this verse refer to the ethnic-national people or to a metaphorical future people from all nations who will inherit the eternal kingdom, which metaphorically is the land? Would this be a comfort to the faithful ancient Israelites?


But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion. Joel 3:20-21

This passage follows the description of a severe world judgment on the nations that will invade Israel. It is difficult to see how this is to be the church. This has not yet happened.


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. Isa 49:6

There is no legitimate way to confuse the meaning here. The promise is to Israel and includes the salvation of the nations. A new Israel of Jews and Gentiles replacing Israel cannot be the interpretation.

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 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. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy G-d. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Isa 62:1-4

Here, the Jews in exile are comforted by the promise of the restoration of Jerusalem, not by a spiritual, metaphorical Jerusalem in heaven. That would not have been such a consolation.


Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. Jer 23:7-8

Could it be the church? No, the church was not banished. Can this be the return from Babylon? No, it was a small remnant that returned and 500 years later was still a minority of the Jewish people, perhaps less than a third. There was never such a powerful and large return that this language was used, that is, until today. There is more to this verse. This return will make the Exodus pale in comparison. This must be a prophetic word about the literal national people.


Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord. Jer 31:31-37

This is food for thought. The New Covenant is made with national/ethnic Israel. It includes the promise of forgiveness of their sins and that they will all recognize G-d. It includes the promise of their ethnic/national preservation. When Christians hear the words new covenant, they hardly have this context of meaning in mind. So how is it that Christians are part of the New Covenant? Because the salvation of the Gentiles is part of the Abrahamic covenant and the New Covenant makes its realization possible. However, this covenant has only been partially fulfilled. It includes as part of it the restoration of the Jewish people. The confession of the bodily seed in this passage could not be clearer. In no way can the church be seen as the intended subject of the last part of the above quotation.


And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,... Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee... Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle... and the Lord my G- shall come, and all the saints with thee... And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. Zec 12-14 (Excerpts)

When discussing this passage with proponents of replacement theology, they often simply say that they don't know how it fits together. That's because the passage is so obviously about a real place that is actually on earth. It describes Jerusalem being surrounded by armies and then being liberated. Zechariah is writing after Jerusalem has been repopulated following the first Babylonian exile. It cannot be about the war in the first century because Jerusalem was destroyed then. It can only be about an event associated with the Jewish people at the end of days, when the city is once again inhabited as a Jewish city.

There are so many other places that could have been chosen. However, the passages chosen give us the tenor of the prophets regarding the restoration of ethnic/national Israel and the glory it will attain. Paul's strong words about the irrevocable election and calling of Israel are precisely in the context of these passages. He awaited with absolute confidence the fulfillment of G-d's promises to the ethnic/national people. This fulfillment would bring “life from the dead” to the whole world (Romans 11:15). That the grafted-in Christian people share in the promises by analogy is indisputable, but that the ethnic/national people will enter into their promised inheritance is also indisputable.


In the middle of the second century, replacement theology led the Gentiles to reject the legitimacy of Jewish life in Jesus. The consequences of this development were tragic. For example, a Jewish life community of His followers, had it been accepted by the rest of the church, would not have allowed for Christian anti-Semitism and even the Nazi Holocaust.

 

[Benaiah468]

The story of Lazarus is one of the most extraordinary in the whole NT It is extremely prophetic.

There we read that Lazarus is sick for two days until Jesus says that he has died (John 11:6 .11). In V.3-9 it then says that Lazarus has already been dead for four days. That is, after the sixth day, Jesus wakes him up.

Lazarus here is a picture of the united kingdom of Israel (Judah and Ephraim or the southern and northern kingdoms). At the end of time, Jesus will gather and unite Israel again! It will be one people again. It was dead and will be alive again (cf. Ez 37).


In 2 Kings 11 we read the story of King Joash. Like so many other ‘persons’ in the OT, this king is also a prophetic image for Jesus. Joash is the actual heir to the throne, but he cannot take up his kingship directly. He is hidden for 6 years (2 Kings 11:3) until he begins his reign in the seventh year (V.4).

We also read how the king's enemies will be judged and eliminated (V.15ff).

Jesus will therefore take up His reign as King in the 1000-year kingdom and judge His enemies.


King Solomon is also a foreshadow of Jesus. We find many similarities between them:

Their kingdoms will last forever
They rule over both houses (northern and southern kingdoms)
Solomon was the wisest man in the world (compare with Col 2:3)
Solomon is called shlomo in Hebrew, which means peaceful. He is therefore the king of peace (cf. Isa 9:5)

Solomon's throne is described in 2 Chr 9:18. It has six levels! The throne is on the seventh.

This means that Jesus will establish His kingship. He will come in the Millennium and ascend the throne. The image of the staircase is a sign that His reign is drawing ever closer

Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. 1 Kings 2:12

Jesus will be given the kingdom by His father! He will reign and His kingdom will be firmly established.