Presents
Pamphlet #7040

 Israel Divided

Notice it carefully.
The House of Judah now including the tribe of Benjamin
under King Rehoboam of David's dynasty,
was about to fight against the other ten tribes headed by Ephraim and Manasseh,
a different and separate nation.

The term "Jew" is merely a late name for "Judah."
It applies to the one nation, or House of Judah only,
never to the House of Israel.
The first place in the entire Bible where the word "Jew" is used is in II Kings 16:6.
Notice it! Ahaz began to reign as king of Judah (verse 1).
He sat on David's throne (verse 2).
At this time, a man named Pekah was king of Israel.
With King Rezin of Syria as an ally,
this king of Israel came against Jerusalem in war,
and besieged King Ahaz of Judah, but could not overcome him (verse 5).
"At that time, Rezin, king of Syria "the ally of Israel,
fighting with Israel, against Judah" recovered Elath to Syria
and drove the Jews from Elath" (verse 6).

Note it! The first place in the Bible where the word "Jew" is used,we find Israel (the 10 tribe kingdom; they were not Jews) at war against the Jews!

Israel's ally, Syria, drove the Jews out of the town of Elath!
Certainly this proves that the Jews are a different nation altogether
from the House of Israel.
The Jews of today are Judah!
They call their nation "Israel" today because they, too,
descend from the patriarch Israel or Jacob.
But remember that the "House of Israel",
the ten tribes that separated from Judah does not mean Jew!

Whoever and whereever the lost ten tribes of Israel are today,
they are not Jews!
Wherever you see the name "House of Israel,"
or "Samaria," or "Ephraim," used in prophecy,
remember this, it never refers to the Jews,
but to the ten tribes of the House of Israel,
who were at war against the Jews!

The terms "Israel" alone, or "children of Israel," may,
and sometimes does, include the Jews,
where all twelve tribes are included.

Jews are Israelites, just as Californians are Americans.
But most Israelites are not Jews,
just as most Americans are not Californians.
The Jews are the House of Judah only, part of the Israelites.
But when these people are spoken of as nations rather than as collective individuals,
the term "House of Israel" never refers to the Jews. "House of Israel" never means "Jews."

The two tribes at Jerusalem under the Davidic king are called,
merely, the House of Judah and, later in history, "Israel,"
but never the national name "House of Israel".
But of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph,
the dying Israel had said,"Let my name be named on them."
And truly they now bear the name of Israel in prophecy.
From here on, the tribe of Judah, with Benjamin and a portion of the priests of the tribe of Levi, are called "Judah," not Israel in Old Testament history.

The ten tribes, headed by Ephraim and Manasseh from this time on are called "House of Israel."
They are not Jews, and never were called Jews!

From this time on, the children of Israel,
twelve tribes in all, are divided into two nations!
And now, for the first time, the birthright goes into one nation, Israel, headed by Ephraim & Manasseh; while the sceptre remains in another nation, called Judah.
The two phases of the promises to Abraham now are separated into two entirely separate nations!

For many generations Israel and Judah remained as into idolatry.
Israel was the only nation that kept it.
Because they rejected this sign, they were driven out in 745-721 B.C., and lost their identity.
(Read Ezekiel 20:10-24.)

About 135 years later, in 586 B.C., Judah, too, went into captivity largely because of Sabbath rejecting.
(See Jeremiah 17.) & pamphlet #535

But those Jews who returned 70 years later
under Ezra and Nehemiah had learned their lesson.
They became legalistically strict Sabbatarians
adding over the years so many of their own restrictions to it
that Jesus, later, had to sweep aside this maze of man made rules, saying
"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."
To this day orthodox Jews have retained the original Sabbath.
And because those Jewish people who descend from the Ezra & Nehemiah leadership
have retained God's covenant identifying sign,
the world today looks upon them as Israel!
And yet they actually are only a part of Judah.

So "the Lord removed Israel out of his sight.
Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria" (II Kings 17:23).
They left the land of Samaria, never yet, nationally, to return!
Gentiles were placed in their homes and cities, (v.24),
and it is these Gentiles who were known as Samaritans in the time of Christ.

A more detailed account of the captivity of Israel is found in II Kings 18:9-12, and 17:5-18.
Now the House of Israel began to "abide many days without a king" (Hosea 3:4).
Since they were the people who carried the title "House of Israel,"
it is they, not Judah, who must become lost in identity!
They lost their language, their religion, their land.

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