Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Commonwealth of Israel.

During the past century various groups of Israelites discovered that they are from the lost ten tribes of the ancient house of Israel dispersed into the nations of the world because of idolatry. In our previous lesson we discussed some of the functions we as the trail blazers of the returning Israelites have to perform before Messiah’s return to rule the commonwealth of Israel from Jerusalem in the near future. However, we also need to be mindful of the great apostasy that is prophesied to come to this earth before the return of the Savior. It was because Yahshua, as Elohim in the flesh knew the end from the beginning that He expressed some doubt about us as believers at His return in Luke 18: 6 - 8, saying: “Hear what the unrighteous judge said (after Yahshua told them a parable about a widow who virtually had to nag (or irritate) an unrighteous judge to give her legal protection from an opponent, and he did so to stop the widow from bothering him any further); (7) now, will not Elohim bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? (8) I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Obviously, a major reason for the possibility of there not being any true believers in both the house of Israel and the house of Judah, will be that many true believers will fall away from the one true faith, because of the worries of the world and persecution of themselves and their families as Yahshua prophesied in Matthew 24: 9 – 13, saying: “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. (10) At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. (11) Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. (12) Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. (13) But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Opposing the growing apostasy will be a core of serious believers who will continue to follow the truth. Yahshua’s return is related to the growing group of followers who are busy returning to the path of righteousness, as Rav Kepha witnessed in Acts 3: 19 – 21, saying: “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of YHVH; (20) and that He may send Yahshua, the Messiah appointed for you, (21) whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which Elohim spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” The prophet Daniel spoke of this time during which those who know the Scriptures and are obedient will be blessed as they assist many to turn to Elohim in Daniel 12: 3, saying: “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” The necessary warning is directed at us during these end-times, so that we would redeem the time and learn and apply as much as possible of Elohim’s will and way during these final days, since a the time of Jacob’s trouble will soon be brought about by the beast system as Daniel also prophesied in Daniel 11: 33 - 35, saying: “Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many day. (34) Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. (35) Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.”  We need to continue to study and digest the truth of the word of YHVH so that we may help others along the way. This will especially be true at the end of this age when those who lack knowledge will seek diligently among Elohim’s chosen people for the available knowledge, which they woefully neglected to obtain. As we seek to help others, we ourselves are in fact nourished with a much deeper understanding of Elohim’s will for His people, as witnessed in Proverbs 11: 25 (KJV), in this way: ‘The liberal soul shall be made fat (with knowledge): and he that watereth shall be watered himself.” We read further about those who are inspiring people to seek Elohim’s ways from verse 30 of Proverbs 11, as follows: ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.’

YHVH our Elohim’s intervention in the affairs of men began when He started fulfilling His promise to bring His chosen people the house of Judah back to the Promised Land. But we also read about the fact that He is also going to bring a remnant of the house of Israel according to His gracious choice (as per Romans 11: 5[1]) back to the Promised Land including some from South Africa as we see from Zephaniah 3: 10 - 13 and 18 -20, in this way: ‘“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshippers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings. (11) In that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain. (12) But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of YHVH. (13) The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; for they will feed and lie down with no one to make them tremble.” (18) “I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts — they came from you, O Zion; the reproach of exile is a burden on them. (19) Behold, I am going to deal at that time with all your oppressors, I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will turn their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. (20) At that time I will bring you in, even at the time when I gather you together; indeed, I will give you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says YHVH.’ At this time YHVH has already brought many from the house of Judah back to the Promised Land, but many more including a remnant of the lost ten tribes of Israel will be brought back in the near future, as may be seen from Zechariah chapter ten. At this time it is not clear how this will happen, but we can be absolutely certain that it will happen exactly as prophesied by the ancient prophets of Israel.

Those of us, who have been called out of the religions of the world, must make our calling and election sure so that no one takes our crown. We need to make sure that we attend Elohim’s Set-apart Feast days to be kept during spring time and the fall season of each year if we want to receive more knowledge and additional portions of His Set-apart Spirit, as He promised through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 5: 24, saying: ‘They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear YHVH our Elohim, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”’ YHVH promised ancient Israel that the house of Israel would again seek and obey Him and stop going after pagan gods, and that He would send both the early and latter rain to ensure them that the crops of Israelites will be bountiful at the harvest, as in Deuteronomy 11: 13 & 14, in this way: “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love YHVH your Elohim and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, (14) that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and the late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.” YHVH gives the spiritual application of this promise through the Prophet Hosea, who urges us to return to YHVH who will cure and restore us to the narrow way in Hosea 6: 1 – 3, saying: “Come, let us return to YHVH. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. (2) He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. (3) So let us know, let is press on to know YHVH. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.” The former rain for the house of Israel came on Pentecost after Messiah ascended to heaven, as Yahshua promised His disciples in John 14: 16 & 17, saying: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; (17) that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

Even though those who know the Torah and remained faithful to YHVH ever since they entered the covenant with Elohim at Mount Sinai obtain the Set-apart Spirit by being obedient to Elohim, we who are now returning to YHVH through Abraham’s one seed, namely Yahshua, obtain the Set-apart Spirit by being immersed and the laying on of hands of a teaching Elder, who will initially show us the ropes, so we will ultimately be able to teach others. Our obedience to Elohim’s Torah ensures that His way of life will become a habit, or part of our being. We make His laws come alive when we put it into practice in our daily lives. It is by the way we live our lives that we become the light of the world. We know that when the full number of Israelites who used to believe that they are Gentiles plus a number of real Gentiles have returned in obedience to YHVH, then the remnant of Israel from both houses of Israel will be saved as recorded in Romans 11: 25 – 27. Our Savior prophesied in Matthew 24: 14 that the good news of the coming kingdom of Elohim on earth, as it is now in heaven, has to be proclaimed throughout the world, before the end of the age. The good news of the Kingdom of Elohim has not yet been preached to all the world as a witness, since we and others before us have been struggling to inform the Israelites in the western world, where the majority rejected the simple truth of salvation for the falsehood preached by Churchianity (Esau) for almost two thousand years to date. However, most resist Elohim’s calling by His Set-apart Spirit and choose to continue their carnal ways, enjoying the pleasures of the world for a season. We need to continue preparing the way for Messiah’s return as the prophet Malachi admonished us in Malachi 4: 4 – 6, saying: “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. (5) Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of YHVH. (6) He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” You and I better get on with the job, to help our children and new believers return to the faith of our Father’s in the faith, but also teach them the Torah Moses gave the children of Israel at Horeb (namely the book of Deuteronomy) and that YHVH is our Elohim – since that is what the Elijah message is about. We read a second witness to this from Isaiah 52: 6 & 7, as follows: “Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the One who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’ (7) How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your Elohim reigns!”

In serving YHVH, we are to do what He has commanded us. This entails the restoration of His laws, commandments, statutes and judgments, which will be the rule of law when Messiah comes to rule, as we read from Micah 4: 1 – 5, in this way: ‘And it will come about in the last days that the mountain (government) of the house of YHVH will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. (2) Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go to the mountain of YHVH and to the house of the Elohim of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of YHVH from Jerusalem. (3 ) And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. (4) Each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of YHVH of hosts has spoken. (5) Though all the peoples walk each in the name of his god, as for us, we will walk in the Name of YHVH our Elohim forever and ever.’ Yahshua our Messiah acknowledged that Yochanan the Immerser was a type of Elijah, but He went on to say that there would arise another Elijah at the end of the age that would restore the Torah of Elohim and proclaim His name like Elijah did in ancient Israel. Also mentioning about restitution of all things mentioned earlier in Acts 3: 21, Yahshua told His disciples in Matthew 17: 11, saying: “Elijah is coming and will restore all things.” This message of the two witnesses is part of the restoration to come. Those of us who are diligently seeking Elohim’s truth are called of YHVH to be a part of this restitution. We together with our Jewish brothers who teach and believe the Sh’ma are the two witnesses mentioned in Isaiah 43: 10 & 11[2] and spoken about by Yahshua in prophesy to Yochanan in Revelation 11: 3 – 6, saying: “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” (4) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before YHVH of the earth. (5) And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. (6) These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”

Who these two witnesses are, has been a much debated matter. These two witnesses represent two groups of people who are actively promoting the truth of Elohim even before the appearance of the ‘man of sin’ sometimes referred to as the anti-Messiah. From very humble beginnings, the man of sin will eventually dominate all the world governments and will arrogate (or annex) all worship to himself. This person already exists and as we’ve seen this past silly season including the New Year according the Gregorian calendar instituted by Pope Gregory in February 1582, when he reformed the previous Roman Catholic Julian calendar. We see from Revelation 11: 7 that this man of sin will in the near future be challenged by the two witnesses who stand fast against his deception, as follows: ‘When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.’ If the beast has to attack, overpower and wage war against these two witnesses, then these are not merely talking about two people. They represent two groups of people arising at the end of the age. The one group representing Moses are most likely a remnant of Torah obedient Jews, and the second group representing Elijah, have also become Torah obedient Israelites and teach Elohim’s people His true name. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, since there are other circumstances that must be brought into focus to obtain the full picture. The remnant of the house of Israel called out of the churches of the world, must at this time busy themselves by purifying and cleaning up the body of believers, since Rav Kepha warned us in 1 Peter 4: 17, saying: ‘For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of Elohim; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of Elohim?’

As mentioned before in Matthew 24: 9, religious persecution will come first. Because of this early affliction, Elohim’s people will be among the first to seek Him as He prophesied through Hosea in Hosea 5: 14 & 15, saying: ‘For I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver. (15) I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.’ Israel and Judah will be among the first to feel Elohim’s wrath for their iniquity and stubborn attitudes. The prophet Daniel in his prayer in Daniel 9 for both houses of Israel tell us in verse 11 that both houses were and are going to be suitably punished in this way: “Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice, so the curse (transliterated in Hebrew as ‘ha’alah’ – since Allah means curse in Hebrew, it seems that both houses have been ‘cursed’ during these end times, from what is happening in the western world during the last few years) has been poured out on us along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of Elohim, for we have sinned against Him.”  However, they will very soon repent and return to YHVH because of their affliction. The remnant chosen from Judah and Ephraim make up the true believers or two witnesses. They are the sheepfold or true congregation of Elohim. Together these two groups witness to the Oneness of Elohim, both keep the weekly and annual Sabbaths of Elohim and eat kosher food. The main point is that both returning Ephraim and Judah worship Elohim whose name is YHVH. They are perfectly suited to proclaim the message given by Malachi in Malachi 4: 4 – 6. They are able to proclaim the Father’s true name and teach the rest of the descendants of Jacob Torah. Up to now, both groups have been silent in proclaiming Elohim’s sacred name for reasons of their own. In his prayer for both houses of Israel in Daniel 9, Daniel  tell us that both Elohim’s people and His city are called by His name in verse 19, saying: “O Adonai, hear! O Adonai forgive! O Adonai, listen and take action! For your own sake, O my Elohim, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” Isaiah was inspired to reveal that Elohim’s people would all know His name, as we’ve seen in Isaiah 52: 6 & 7 quoted earlier. He shows that there would be those proclaiming the good news about the coming kingdom of Elohim and rejoicing that Elohim would ultimately reign.

Rav Shaul quotes these verses from Joel 2 almost verbatim. Firstly, he emphasized that salvation is found by calling on the name of YHVH and that Elohim’s people will know His name at the end of the age. Rav Shaul makes the point that this is more than one person, he believes them to be a group of believers, since he tells us in Romans 10: 13 – 15, saying: ‘For “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF YHVH WILL BE SAVED.” (14) How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher? (15) How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” Whilst Isaiah emphasized the Elijah message to be referring to one person only, Rav Shaul states that there is more than one who would be proclaiming the good news. It will most likely be a group of dedicated believers who are represented by the two groups or witnesses of Revelation 11. The Prophets referred to them as Judah and Ephraim, or at least a remnant of each group. Ephesians 2: 11 - 22 informs us of the reconciliation of the house of Judah and the house of Israel to Father YHVH through Messiah. In verse 14 Rav Shaul tells us that the wall of hostility between the two groups has been broken through by Yahshua having to die for the punishment due to the house of Israel for their idolatry over the past two thousand years, so that they are now reconciled as one new man. Rav Shaul tells us that the enmity between the two groups was hatred between them due to the house of Israel’s abhorrence of the Torah commandments. What people often forget is that Yahshua’s death atoned for both houses as witnessed in John 11: 49 – 52, as follows: ‘But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, (50) nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” (51) Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Yahshua was going to die for the nation, (52) and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of Elohim who are scattered abroad.’ The two tribes of Judah consisted of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin and the house of Israel consisted of the other ten tribes of Israel. Since Jeroboam made priests from among all the people who were not of the tribe of Levi to serve in the house of Israel, the tribe of Levi also remained with the house of Judah to this day. The books of Kings and Chronicles deal with this division, explaining how the house of Israel in the north of the promised Land was moved to Assyria, and a little more than a hundred years later the house of Judah was exiled to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar. Only a small portion of Judah returned to the Promised Land 70 years after their captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, when Ezra and Nehemiah returned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, as well as the Temple.

The union between the house of Judah and the house of Israel (who by now have been considered as Gentiles by YHVH) into the commonwealth of Israel has not as yet happened. The Prophets of the Tanach promised Ephraim (considered representative of the lost ten tribes of Israel) would work with Judah as a body. These two groups would witness Elohim’s truth to the world during the end times. We read a prophecy about the coming together of the two houses by Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37: 16 & 17, as follows: “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions,’ (17) Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.” The time for the uniting of Judah and Israel is at the end of the age when YHVH gathers His people the second time from all the parts of the earth into which they were scattered. As a result Ephraim and Judah will no longer trouble one another as Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 11: 11- 13, in this way: ‘Then it will happen on that day that YHVH will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands (or coastlands) of the sea. (12) And He will lift up a standard for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (13) Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim.’ Ephraim will no longer be anti-Semitic and Judah will no longer harbor ill will for true believing Israelites. Both groups will seek YHVH together as one, as we read from Jeremiah 50: 4 & 5, as follows: “In those days and at that time,” declares YHVH, ‘the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be YHVH their Elohim they will seek. (5) They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to YHVH in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.”

Hosea especially speaks of the time when Judah and the lost ten tribes of Israel will be reunited in Hosea 1: 11, saying: ‘And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and they will go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel (meaning when those scattered will be gathered as one again).’ Jeremiah speaks of the assembling of Judah and Israel together at the end of the age to join together to worship YHVH, as we read in Jeremiah 3: 18, in this way: ‘In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.’ The merging of the house of Israel and the house of Judah is busy happening and will be completed when Messiah returns to rule the commonwealth of Israel from Jerusalem. This is part and partial of the true gospel that we have to proclaim to the lost ten tribes scatted into the world, before the end will come. Think about it!

 

[1] Romans 11: 5, ‘In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time, a remnant according to Elohim’s gracious choice.’

[2] Isaiah 43: 10 & 11: “You are My witnesses,” declares YHVH, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no Elohim formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am YHVH, and there is no savior besides Me.”