Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

The Tabernacle of David which has fallen.

Yahshua’s half-brother Yaa’cov was like Him a Jew who did not convert to Christianity during his lifetime. Being a disciple of Yahshua he was fully supportive of Messiah’s main purpose to bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant they made with YHVH, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai and it was for this reason that he concluded the discussion regarding circumcision in Acts 15: 13 - 21, saying: ‘And after they had stopped speaking, Yaa’cov answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. (14) Simeon has related how Elohim first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. (15) And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, (16) ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, (17) IN ORDER THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK YHVH, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’ (18) SAYS YHVH, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM OF OLD.’ (19) Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are (re)turning to Elohim from among the Gentiles,(20) but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. (21) For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” Here Rav Yaa’cov tells returnees from the house of Israel (meaning the Gentiles called by Elohim’s name) to go to the Jewish synagogues to learn about the way of Elohim and to eventually become fully Torah observant which include circumcision for all male believers.

Both the books of Ezekiel and Hosea prophesied about the way the house of Israel forsook YHVH their Elohim, but also David their king, Temple worship and how it eventually lead to YHVH divorcing them.  To ascertain what went wrong with the ancient nation of Israel, we need to look at the time immediately prior to King Solomon’s death. Most Scriptural scholars know that ancient Israel’s problems started before King Solomon’s death, when he appointed his servant Jeroboam over the forced labor of the house of Joseph, as recorded in 1 Kings 11: 26 – 28, as follows: ‘Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. (27) Now this was the reason why he rebelled against the king: Solomon built the Millo (or citadel), and closed up the breach of the city of his father David. (28) Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.’ Because King Solomon was a very wise man he saw that even though Jeroboam was rebellious, he had other good rulership qualities. But, when reading what happened next from 1 Kings 11: 29 – 39, we see that it was Elohim who specifically chose Jeroboam to take the rulership of the house of Israel away from the house of David, as follows: ‘And it came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. (30) Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. (31) And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says YHVH, the Elohim of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes (32) (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), (33) because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. (34) Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; (35) but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. (36) But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. (37) And I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. (38) Then it will be, that If you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. (39) Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.’’ Notice the only condition YHVH gave Jeroboam to rule the house of Israel, was to obey Him the way King David did before him.

King Solomon’s son Rehoboam started ruling in Solomon’s place after his death. King Solomon ruled all twelve tribes of Israel for forty years, during which time the nation lived peacefully, because he demanded heavy taxes from the citizens allowing them to dominate their neighbors economically and militarily. However, this heavy tax burden caused a fair amount of resentment among the citizens of Israel and because of Jeroboam’s effective administration over the forced labor in Israel, the nation requested him to be their spokesman to try and lighten the tax burden under King Rehoboam. As witnessed in 1 Kings 12: 4 Jerobaom immediately approached King Rehoboam, saying to him: “Your father made our yoke hard; therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke  which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Rehoboam required some time to consider the nation’s request through Jeroboam and consulted with the elders who served under his father, who advised him in verse 7 of first Kings 12, saying:  “If you will be a servant to this people today, will serve them, grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” However, Rehoboam did not listen to the counsel of the elders, and consulted with his peers who grew up with him. Their answer to Rehoboam is recorded in verses 10 & 11, as follows: “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them. ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!  (11) Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” When the nation of Israel saw that Rehoboam did not listen to them they answered the king as recorded in 1 Kings 12: 16, saying: ‘“What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel!  Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel departed to their tents.’  We also see from verse 20 that Israel made Jeroboam king over the house of Israel and only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

Rehoboam immediately assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to fight against the house of Israel, but was stopped by Elohim from doing so, as witnessed in 1  Kings 12: 22 – 24, in this way: ‘But the word of Elohim came to Shemaiah the man of Elohim, saying, (23) “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, (24) ‘Thus says YHVH, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me.”’”  However, we see that despite the fact that YHVH chose Jeroboam to rule over the ten tribes of Israel, he feared that if the house of Israel should return to Jerusalem to keep the Feast Days of Elohim, they will want Rehoboam to be their king once again. We read fittingly from 1 Kings 12: 28 – 33, how Jeroboam went off the track, because of his fear motivated by jealousy, as follows: ‘So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them (the house of Israel), “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (29) And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. (30) Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. (31) And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. (32) And Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. (33) Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month  which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.’ King Jeroboam’s fear and personal agenda led to spiritual mistakes that would bring untold misery on the house of Israel and their descendants, to this day.

Soon after taking over as king over the house of Israel, Jeroboam led the nation away from worshipping YHVH the Elohim of Israel according to the way He prescribed in His word. Jeroboam’s counterfeit worship, with its own festivals and priesthood was the primary reason for the house of Israel’s downfall.  Jeroboam like us was specifically chosen by Elohim to rule His people, but he failed to use the opportunity given him by Elohim. Similarly today, there are some leaders whom YHVH specifically called to lead His people, to teach them to keep His weekly and annual Sabbaths specified in the Scriptures, but because of their personal agendas motivated by fear and jealousy of other leaders and/or because of anti-Semitism, they contradict what the word of Elohim teaches. Elohim pronounced a sobering judgment against  Jeroboam, through Ahijah the prophet in 1 Kings 14: 7 – 10, in this way: “Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim of Israel, “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, (8) and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight; (9) you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back— (10) therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.”  Because of Jeroboam’s sin, YHVH also eventually rejected the house of Israel as is recorded in verses 14 – 16, as follows: “Moreover, YHVH will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on. (15) For YHVH will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking YHVH to anger. (16) And He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin.”

The restoration of all Israel is based upon the unqualified promise of YHVH. Even though the House of Israel is scattered throughout the world and think of themselves as Gentiles, not a ‘least grain’ will be lost. In Hosea 1 we see that Hosea’s wife bore him a child named ‘Jezreel’, meaning that YHVH will scatter the house of Israel into the nations of the world in Hebrew. We see that this punishment is specifically for the House of Israel, whilst YHVH will have compassion on the House of Judah, as recorded in Hosea 1: 7 as follows: “But I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by YHVH their Elohim, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses and horsemen.” The House of Judah consists of the majority of the Jewish People alive today. We know that there are only about 16 million Jews around the world today. They retained their identity, because they remained faithful to Torah for the past 2500 years. The house of Israel consisting of ten tribes was carried away in captivity by Assyria around 721 - 718 BCE and never returned (in great numbers) to rejoin their brother Judah. It was during the time of their scattering amongst the nations that Hosea tells us that these Israelites would lose their identity. Hosea’s second and third children were named Lo-ruchama (meaning not-pitied) and Lo-ammi (meaning not My People), meaning that during their captivity amongst the nations, they would not receive any pity from Elohim and would no longer be known as His people. Even though the Jews were also dispersed throughout the nations forty years after Messiah’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, they have always retained a relationship with YHVH their Elohim and have kept their identity. Fortunately YHVH does not want to leave the house of Israel scattered amongst the nations of the world and the Prophet Hosea prophesied that at this time when the number of the descendants of Israel will be as ‘the sand of the sea’; this immeasurable group who used to be known as ‘not My people’ will again come to be known as ‘sons of the Living El.’ This means that they will regain their identity – they will realize that they are not Gentiles, but belong to the so called ‘lost ten tribes of Israel.’ We have seen this prophesy about the return of the lost tribes of Israel, in Deuteronomy 30:  3 – 6, as follows: ‘Then YHVH your Elohim will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where YHVH your Elohim has scattered you. (4) If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there YHVH your Elohim will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. (5) And YHVH your Elohim will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. (6) Moreover YHVH your Elohim will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.’  A second witness to this is found in Leviticus 26: 40 - 45.

 

We read further about this regathering from Jeremiah 31: 10 where YHVH says: “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.” We read further from verses 27 and 28: ‘“Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. (28) And it will come about that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy, and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares YHVH.’ This is not only talking about the re-gathering of the house of Judah to the Land, but of joining the house of Judah with the whole house of Israel. Let’s now consider a few scriptures which confirm the coming together of the two houses into the commonwealth of Israel and also tell us what lies ahead for those who now know that we are part and parcel of the lost ten tribes of Israel:

1.       Starting in Isaiah 11: 11 – 12, we read: ‘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 coastlands of the sea. (12) And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.’ This full gathering seems to come with the appearance of the standard (or Messiah), but many scriptures show that the initial stages of the reunion begin earlier in less notable ways.

2.       Jeremiah 3: 6 - 18 states the following, ‘Then YHVH said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. (7) And I thought, ‘After she has done all these things, she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. (8) And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she went and was a harlot also. (9) And it came about because of the lightness of her harlotry, that she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. (10) And yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,’ declares YHVH. (11) And YHVH said to me, ‘Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. (12) Go, and proclaim these words toward the north and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares YHVH; I will not look upon you in anger, for I am gracious,’ declares YHVH; ‘I will not be angry forever. (13) Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against YHVH your Elohim and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares YHVH. (14) Return, O faithless sons, declares YHVH; ‘For I am a master to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.’ (15) “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. (16) And it shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares YHVH, “they shall say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of YHVH.’ And it shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they miss it, nor shall it be made again. (17) At that time they shall call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of YHVH,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of YHVH; nor shall they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart. (18) 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.” Judah has already gone back to the land and we see more and more Jews returning. Both houses will eventually return, to be associated again with a Davidic king. This great return will rival the Exodus from Egypt, when the new covenant will come about with the restoration of all Israel. We read about this in Jeremiah 23: 3 - 6 as follows: ‘Then I Myself shall gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and shall bring them back to their pasture; and they will be fruitful and multiply. (4) I shall also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,’ declares YHVH. (5) “Behold, the days are coming,” declares YHVH, “When I shall raise up for David a righteous branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. (6) In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which he will be called; ‘YHVH our righteousness.’”

3.       We see from Amos 9: 8 – 10 Israel lose contact with Elohim and will be scattered, but in verses 11 and 12, their return is again linked with a restoration of a Davidic kingdom. The apostles understood these scriptures and immediately prior to Messiah ascending to heaven, they asked Him in the last part of Acts 1: 6 as follows:  “Master, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

4.       The Prophet Zechariah also prophesied about this in Zechariah 8: 13, saying: ‘And it will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’ If some of us are concerned about our children at this time, it is comforting to read Zechariah 10: 9 & 10 as follows: “When I scatter them among the peoples, they will remember Me in far countries, and they with their children will live and come back. (10) I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until no room can be found for them.”

5.       Nevertheless, we read Elohim’s warning through Hosea from Hosea 14: 2, in this way: ‘Take words with you and return to YHVH. Say to Him. “Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.”’ The prophet encourages Israel to take words, meaning Torah and to return to YHVH in repentance; to reflect on the commandments that they have transgressed; confess their sins and return to Him in obedience to His teachings. This is a call for all of modern day Israel to return to our heritage - it is time to realize that those who captured us, cannot save us, as we read from verse 3, as follows: ‘Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses; nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in Thee the orphan finds mercy.” Not many years from today, the oil which we have come to rely upon so much will not be so readily available and the transport so essential to our economies will grind to a halt. So will all the gadgets that we came to depend on with our lives, stop working when the electricity generating plants come to a halt because of fuel shortages and a lack of proper maintenance. It is too late to turn around - even if we try to prevent it from happening. The proponents who promote that the world goes green are doing a sterling job in trying to get government leaders to work on a strategy, to at least try and preserve some of the blessings that we have experienced and destroyed for our children. However, honorable as their attempts are, it is all in vain: YHVH has given mankind a period of six thousand years, to prove to ourselves that life without Him is meaningless. His plan of salvation, depicted by His annual Set-apart Days, tells us that He is about to intervene in our lives. Suddenly all of what we have become so accustomed to will disappear; we will not ride on horses, or on motorbikes, or in cars any longer. Our manmade idols will be useless, and cannot save us. Throughout the Scriptures, Elohim demands mercy for the orphan, consequently Israel who became orphaned is also assured of His compassion.

We need to repent and return to the way of Elohim, because He is our Father and is prepared to forgive us, as we read from verses 4 to 8 of Hosea 14, in this way: ‘I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them. (5) I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. (6) His shoots will sprout, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. (7) Those who live in his shadow will again raise grain, and they will blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. (8) O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress, from Me comes your fruit.’ The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy will be millennial, since all of Israel has not repented at this time. YHVH is only calling a remnant from the lost ten tribes, scattered throughout the nations of the world, to repent, be reconciled to Brother Judah and follow Him. If those of us called at this time, overcome Satan, the world and the self, we will together with our Jewish Brothers become kings and priests under Yahshua to rule those who survive the great tribulation during the millennium and beyond. As explained in verse 8, YHVH and not idols will take care of the united Israel – He, and not Israel or Judah, is the tree providing both shelter and prosperity. As mentioned earlier there are presently Jews in Israel, who know that we are part of the lost ten tribes of Israel and who are working zealously with the Israeli government in an effort to eventually allow some of us, who know that we are Israel, to return to the land. The foreword of the second edition of ‘The Tribes’ by Yair Davidiy written by Rabbi Avraham Feld, says the following: ‘We are blessed with another edition of The Tribes by Yair Davidiy, where directions are given helping people find their way back home.’

 

Our Jewish brothers in Israel are keen for us to return to full Torah observance so that we may join them and return to our homeland, but so is our Father YHVH. Ezekiel 37: 15 - 28 is the most significant Scriptural passage about the re-unification of the Two Houses of Israel under the Greater David, Messiah Yahshua, as follows: "The word of YHVH came again to me saying, (16) '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. (18) And when the sons of your people speak to you saying, "Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?" (19) say to them, "Thus says YHVH ELOHIM, 'Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.'" (20) And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. (21) 'And say to them, "Thus says YHVH ELOHIM, 'Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; (22) and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. (23) And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their Elohim. (24) And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them. (25) And they shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant shall be their prince forever. (26) And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. (27) My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their Elohim, and they will be My people. (28) And the nations will know that I am YHVH who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’

 

When studying these verses in detail, we come to see that this prophecy is yet to occur and the Two Houses of Israel are not united yet. At the time of this prophesy neither the house of Judah nor the house of Israel have returned to the Land of Israel and the Greater David, or Messiah Yahshua, is not reigning over United Israel from His throne in Jerusalem and that Judah and Ephraim do not dwell securely in the land yet. All of Israel is not observing the statutes and judgments of YHVH like they should. However, some modern day descendants of Israel believe that because our Jewish brothers rejected Yahshua, they are lost forever. But, we should not forget Yahshua’s own words in Matthew 15: 24, in this way: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This means that Yahshua came specifically to save the lost ten tribes of Israel and not for the Jews: YHVH divorced Israel (see Jeremiah 3: 8) and even though Judah also sinned, He did not divorce them and they remained loyal to Him. Their role is primarily to preserve the oracles of Elohim, as well as the Hebrew language. The reason why YHVH blinded them to the identity of the Messiah for the past 2000 years, is described in Romans 11: 1 – 12, as follows: ‘I say then, Elohim has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (2) Elohim has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with Elohim against Israel? (3) “YHVH, THEY HAVE KILLED THY PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN THINE ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” (4) But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” (5) In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to Elohim’s gracious choice. (6) But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.  (7) What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; (8) just as it is written, “ELOHIM GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.” (9) And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.  (10) LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOR EVER.” (11) I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. (12) Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!” YHVH wants both houses to repent and return to full Torah observance, so that we may once again be known as the United Kingdom of Israel.

 

We read further in Romans 11: 15 – 21: ‘For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (16) And if the first piece of dough be Set-apart, the lump is also; and if the root be Set-apart, the branches are too. (17) But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, (18) do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. (19) You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” (20) Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; (21) for if Elohim did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.’ The last thing that we can afford to do is to be arrogant.  By blinding the Jews to Yahshua at this time, YHVH is calling the remnant from the lost ten tribes, so that we may provoke our Jewish brothers to jealousy, by keeping the same Torah commands that they do. We have seen an example of what will happen to our Jewish brothers, when Yahshua returns in John 20, after His resurrection in verses 25 to 29, as follows: ‘The other disciples therefore were saying to him, “We have seen the Master!” But he said to them, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (26) And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Yahshua came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace be with you.” (27) Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” (28) Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Master and my Elohim!” (29) Yahshua said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” Yahshua did not rebuke Thomas for calling Him Elohim, instead He said that we who have not seen Him and believe that He is our Elohim, are indeed blessed.

 

We know that this is exactly what will happen to our Jewish brothers at Messiah’s return to come and rule us from Jerusalem. We read accordingly from Zechariah 12: 9 – 14, “And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. (11) In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. (12) And the land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; (13) the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; (14) all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.’ This will occur on Yom Teruah (also known as Rosh Hashanah), when Yahshua returns, finding our Jewish brothers observing this important Feast Day in their synagogues, with the men separate from their wives, as per their custom, He will save them by grace, after which, when they accept Him as their Messiah, He will resurrect the dead in Messiah and change those believers in Him still alive to become His spiritual children, or the bride that He will remarry, as witnessed in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 33, as follows: “Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares YHVH. (33) But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, ‘I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”  Halleluyah!