Judah and Ephraim are going to be brought back and made one on the mountains of Israel.
Eze 37:21-22.
These are the natural seed of the whole
house of Israel. Those coming back with Yahshua
1 Th 4:16-17.
will be a supernatural people.
Yahweh said He would bring the twelve tribes of Israel to Canaan, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’
Ex. 3:8, and Ex. 13:5, 33:3.
Yahweh made them this promise under the Covenant He made with them through Moses.
However, because some of them continued in disobedience and idolatry, they forfeited the right to remain in the land and were expelled.
Because of sin, Israel became divided, with Jeroboam and the 10 Tribes in the north of Israel, and Rehoboam in Jerusalem with the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south of Israel.
1Ki 11:30-32,
The two groups became enemies.
1Ki 12:21
In Exodus 20:18-19 we read: “Now all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes,
and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain
smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses,
“Speak thou with us and we will hear but let
not Yahweh speak to us lest we die.”
Here, we see that the people did not want to hear Yahweh speaking
directly to them, they desired a ‘go-between’. They wanted Moses to relay His messages.
This was a momentous and far-reaching decision which would affect them and their ancestors
through all their generations. They chose to hear from Yahweh through a mediator and not
directly. This was their choice which has continued until this day. This was the beginning of a
Priesthood which was largely of works rather than faith. They made a Covenant
with Yahweh through Moses who was himself a man of faith, with a close relationship with
the Almighty. In one place in scripture it says Exo 33:11 "And the LORD spake unto Moses
face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
Yahshua came to be the mediator of the second Covenant with Israel and Judah. In Jeremiah 31:31
we read “...a new covenant with the House of Israel
and the House of Judah….not like the covenant I made with their fathers…”
In Hebrews 8:6-13 it states that Yahshua was the Mediator of a
“better Covenant, which was established on better promises” and it goes on to say that
“…all will know Me from the least to the greatest of them…”
In Heb.12:18-24 we read about this second Covenant. “…just men made perfect … the New Covenant” This is a different covenant with better promises.
Jer. 31:31 The second covenant is “NOT like the former covenant with Israel”
Consider the fascinating scriptures which mention a group who may be a part of this first resurrection,
a people raised from the dead.
In Ezekiel
37:1-14 the prophet is asked to prophesy to the bones in the valley. Who are these bones?
They have bones and sinews and breath is breathed into
them, but they interestingly have no blood! So they are a resurrected people.
Are they the Israel of faith from the Old Covenant? They are called
“…the whole house of Israel” Will they accompany the resurrected members of the
New Covenant who will be returning with Yahshua? After all, many of
the faithful from the first covenant were resurrected after Yahshua’s resurrection
“… many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised
and coming out of the graves after His resurrection …appeared to many” (Matthew 27:52).
The second priesthood – of the seed of faith. The Order of Melchisedek
1. Heb. 7:14-25 Yahshua is after the order of Melchisedek, an everlasting priesthood (for ever)
of FAITH. He is not dead, as the former Levitical
Priests are, who only served during their lifetime, but He is the Head of the Melchisedek Priesthood
which should be in evidence today.
Ephesians 4
The first group will return to Israel in a natural way to be made one on the mountains of
Israel: “They shall look upon Me whom they have
pierced (Zech. 12:10) and “…bring to their own land…make them one on the mountains of Israel…
make a covenant of peace with them…” (Ezekiel 37:21-26).
Yahweh will honour His first Covenant with Israel and Judah, and His promise to bring them
back to the land of Israel, so they will be brought back naturally
to come into the New Covenant as it were in boats planes and trains!
Jer. 31:31 and
Ezekiel 37:24 – 28.
So one group is to return naturally to the Land
of Israel to receive the New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31
from the risen Messiah and the other group is to return supernaturally
with the risen Messiah
which consists of the people of faith throughout history
Hebrews 11
and those who have already received the
New Covenant i.e. the early Congregation and
those who followed afterwards up until our day.
The people and the promise of the first Covenant
The northern ten tribes were sent to Assyria
2 Kings 15:29 &
2 Kings 17:6
and the southern two tribes were sent to Babylon
2Ki 24:16
Read 2 Kings 24:15 Also in 70 A.D. the Jews were again dispersed at the fall of Jerusalem.
However, Yahweh’s love for Israel is such that He continually reached out and is still reaching out to His people with the promise to bring them
back to the land of Israel. He has promised restoration both to Himself and the land of Israel in many scriptures including Hosea.
For a later dispensation, the prophets speak again and again of the return of Israel to their Elohim and to the land of Israel. In
Jeremiah 23:3 Yahweh, the Elohim (God) of Israel states that they will be brought back to Israel naturally
Also in
Isa 43:5-7 and
Zech. 10:6-10 and &
Jer. 31:8-10 He will gather them and bring them home.
For more information read “Israel the Beloved”
The first priesthood – of the natural seed
Paul, speaking to the Congregation in Corinth, (1 Corinthians 10:1) about the Israelites in the wilderness, called them “Our fathers”. He stated
that with most of them Yahweh was “not well pleased” because they “craved evil things”
As an outcome of this thousands – on one occasion 24,000! -
were destroyed as He brought judgement on them.
Numbers 14:21-38,and
Numbers 25:9
The second Covenant people and the seed of faith
The first Covenant – OF WORKS
The second Covenant – OF FAITH and WORKS
For the most part, the children of Israel who were in the wilderness did not experience a
Covenant of FAITH. They
1 Corinthians 10:1-6 “craved evil things.”
However, there was a people of faith among them i.e. “… nevertheless, with most
of them (implying that at least some of them were not included
in this statement) Yahweh was not well pleased…”
Numbers 14:29-31
This verse mentions Joshua and Caleb by name as being men of faith.
And what about the "dry bones" who are they?
Job knew Messiah “I know that my Redeemer liveth…….He shall stand on the earth…” (Job 19:25)
Moses himself knew Messiah (Hebrews 11:24-26) “He considered the
reproach of Messiah greater than the treasures of Egypt…” and what about David? His psalms depict
an intimate knowledge of Yahweh as Redeemer.
Yahweh always had a people of faith among His people.
Heb. 11 These special
people of faith have a different future. These
are they who will return with Yahshua, along with the faithful from the New Covenant.
The early Jewish congregation which we read about in Acts was a continuation of this seed of faith
in the New Covenant.
According to the witnesses in the Second Covenant scriptures, these (people of faith both from the
first and the second Covenant) are the seed of faith
both deceased and alive who will return with Yahshua. 1 Corinthians 15:51 states: “ The
trumpet shall sound and the dead will be raised
incorruptible and we shall be changed…”
1 Thess. 4:14:17 “…then those who are alive…shall be caught up…” These are a people of faith
in the risen Messiah, both Jew and Gentile.
In Rev. 20:1-6 we read “…and they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years”. These people
will be priests of Yahweh and will reign with
Yahshua for a thousand years.
These are the people of faith. Who are not there? The disobedient from the first
Covenant. However, those selected ones who were of
faith will in fact be there.
2. This is a Covenant of faith with a priesthood of faith. Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
New Covenant believers in the risen Messiah both Jew and Gentile already have the New
Covenant.
3. Eph. 2:11-21 v. 18 “…"Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father”
This is the New Covenant. Heb 8:10-11
and the original scripture,
Jer 31:33-34
Who is “made one through Him?” Those of faith from both covenants! (for in v. 3-5 Paul
himself says “…we all once conducted ourselves
in the lusts of our flesh…but Yahweh …made us alive together…”)
4.What and where is the priesthood of the New Covenant?
First Apostles
1 Cor. 12:28 - Yahshua was the first
Heb.5:10 and He chose the
12, all were Jewish!
Ephesians 4
Conclusion
We see two groups
1. The Jews and the other Israelite Tribes whom Yahweh / God will gather in the last days
who are without the risen Messiah.
2.The Body of Yahshua, i.e. those who have accepted Yahshua / Jesus as their Saviour, both Jews
and Gentiles, and those men and women of faith who lived at and from the time of the Old Covenant.
The second group will return supernaturally through the clouds
1Th 4:16-18
to reign with Him for a
thousand years. Those of the circumcision and the uncircumcision i.e. all the Israelites,
those of faith from all generations,
along with those from
the nations, who have accepted Yahshua as Saviour from
the point of His glorious resurrection.
If you have been challenged by this article in that you are unsure of whether or
not you are a part of those who will
return with the risen Messiah of Israel, Yahshua,
then you probably need to experience His reality in your life.
This link will help you to do this.
Yahweh bless you as you come into a greater relationship with Him.