105 The body of Messiah | nazareneisrael2house

The body of Messiah.

One of the most misunderstood subjects by groups, who started believing in Messiah and/or discovered the identity of the lost ten tribes during the last hundred years, is what constitutes the body of Messiah. Messianic Jews, who do not believe in the two house doctrine, maintain that they as Jews who believe in Messiah and the Gentiles who join them in their congregations, make up the body of Messiah, whilst many of those from the lost ten tribes called out of the churches of the world, believe that they are the body of Messiah on their own. Even though both have the correct idea about what constitutes the body of Messiah, they are both wrong. Rav Shaul gives us a clear definition in this regard in Ephesians 1: 18 – 23, saying: ‘I pray that the eyes of your heart (understanding) may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might (20) which he brought about in Messiah, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. (22) And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the congregation, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.’

Those who believe that Messiah’s congregation was started in 31CE after His death, resurrection and ascension to heaven is wrong, since the congregation of Elohim consisting of both houses of Israel was started in the wilderness, as witnessed in Acts 7: 37 & 38, as follows: “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘ELOHIM SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ (38) This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.” In addition, Yahshua told the Jews in John 10: 14 – 16 and Luke 15: 1 - 6, about us from the lost ten tribes whom He will eventually bring back to the congregation of YHVH to become part of their sheep fold. But, besides this disagreement, many Messianic Jews/Israelites who came to believe in Messiah, also believe that Rav Shaul taught against Torah obedience, but do not realize that he was in fact authenticating Torah observance as Rav Kepha confirmed in 2 Peter 3: 14 – 16, saying: ‘Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, (15) and regard the patience of our Master to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Shaul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, (16) as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.’ The reason why these two seemingly similar groups, namely those on the one hand consisting of the Assemblies of YHVH, offshoots of the Churches of G-d, and other unaffiliated like-minded believers from mainly the lost ten tribes; and the Messianic Jews on the other hand have several disagreements and misunderstandings, is that they do not fully understand that Yahshua especially trained Rav Shaul a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, to continue the work and main purpose for which He came to earth. Fact is that most of these groups, even today, misunderstand Messiah’s main purpose for coming to earth. Rav Shaul spoke about Messiah’s purpose as a mystery in Ephesians 3: 1 – 11, saying: ‘For this reason, I Shaul, the prisoner of Messiah Yahshua for the sake of you Gentiles— (2) if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of Elohim’s grace which was given to me for you; (3) that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. (4) And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Messiah, (5) which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; (6) to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Messiah Yahshua through the gospel (of the coming Kingdom of Elohim), (7) of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of Elohim’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. (8) To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Messiah, (9) and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in Elohim, who created all things; (10) in order that the manifold wisdom of Elohim might now be made known through the congregation to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (11) This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Messiah Yahshua our Master.’

Let’s dissect this Scripture to understand fully what Rav Shaul was endeavoring to explain to us. To understand what he is talking about in verses I & 2 of Ephesians 3, we need to return to the time when Yahshua first commissioned him in Acts 26: 11 – 18, as follows: “And as I punished them (meaning Nazarene Jewish believers in Messiah) often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing then even to foreign cities. (12) While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, (13) at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. (14) And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Shaul, Shaul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (15) And I said, ‘Who art Thou Master?’ And the Master said, ‘I am Yahshua whom you are persecuting. (16) But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen (the Jewish things he was familiar with), but also to the things in which I will appear to you (meaning the things Yahshua taught Rav Shaul over a period of three years in Damascus); (17) delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, (18) to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to Elohim, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ In His very first sermon that Yahshua gave after His immersion and temptation by Satan for forty day, He read from Isaiah 61: 1 and the first part of verses 2, saying: ‘The Spirit of YHVH Elohim is upon me, because YHVH has anointed me to bring good news (meaning to proclaim the gospel of the coming Kingdom of Elohim) to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; (2) to proclaim the favorable year of YHVH.’ Rav Yaa’cov tells us what Yahshua meant by liberty and freedom to prisoners in verse 1 of Isaiah 61, when he wrote in James 1: 21 – 26, saying: ‘Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (22) But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) For once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (25) But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.’ Since Rav Yaa’cov wrote specifically to the twelve tribes who were at that time already dispersed abroad as he indicated in James 1: 1, we understand from Isaiah 61: 1 and what James wrote in the section quoted above, that Yahshua came to bring prisoners of Satan and his main agent (meaning Esau or Rome), who deceived the lost ten tribes of Israel and held them captive for more than 2000 years, back to the Law of Liberty or the Torah covenant they made with YHVH jointly with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, to eventually establish the kingdom of Elohim over Israel and ultimately the entire world. Torah brings freedom as Yahshua also told the Jews who believed in Him in John 8: 31 & 32, saying: “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; (32) and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” This is the opposite of what people in the churches of the world have been taught, since Torah is truth (as per Psalm 119: 142) and makes us free.

The above also gives us a clue as to who the Gentiles spoken about by Rav Shaul and Yahshua in Acts 26 and Ephesians 3 are, since Rav Shaul identified them before in Ephesians 2: 11 - 16, saying: ‘Therefore, remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh (Israelites from the lost ten tribes who after living among the Gentiles for many years forgot who they were, stopped circumcising their male children at eight days old and became like Gentiles), who are called “Un-circumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” (meaning the Jews), which is performed in the flesh by human hands— (12) remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise (the covenant made with Abraham that he and his descendants will live eternally as spiritual children of Elohim in the Promised land; as well as the covenant made with David, that he and his descendants will one day rule over the re-established kingdom of Israel as the kingdom of Elohim), having no hope and without Elohim in the world. (13) But now in Messiah Yahshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (15) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity (the punishment prescribed by Torah), which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances (or judgments payable for breaking the commandments and statutes), that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (16) and might reconcile them both in one body (the congregation of YHVH or body of Messiah) to Elohim through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.’ To become part of the commonwealth of Israel once again, these Gentiles spoken about by Rav Shaul who are none other than the lost ten tribes of Israel that YHVH scattered into the nations of the world because of Idolatry, may only return to YHVH, through Yahshua, Abraham’s one seed. Isaiah reveals the same truths in Isaiah 49: 1 – 6, where he also discloses Messiah’s main purpose, saying: ‘Listen to Me, O Islands (or coastlands), and pay attention, you peoples from afar (meaning the lost sheep of the house of Israel). YHVH called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me. (2) And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me, and He has also made me a select arrow; He has hidden Me in His quiver. (3) And He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will show My glory.” (4) But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with YHVH, and My reward with My Elohim.” (5) And now says YHVH, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (for I am honored in the sight of YHVH, and My Elohim is My strength), (6) He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations.”’

There are people who believe that Yahshua is trying to bring Christianity and Judah together before His return. Even though they are partly correct, Yahshua’s main purpose is to re-establish the tabernacle of David which has fallen – meaning He came to bring the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant relationship they made with Elohim, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai. For this to happen, the house of Israel who have been in captivity by Esau or Rome for more than 2000 years, have to come out of Christianity and start obeying Elohim in the way He prescribes in Torah. That means they have to start keeping His weekly and annual Sabbaths commanded in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16, obey the food laws given in mainly Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 and obey the rest of Torah better than the Scribes and the Pharisees, as Yahshua clearly stated in Matthew 5: 19 & 20 saying: “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Now, for those who think the righteousness of Messiah is different to that of our Jewish Brothers, lets read what Rav Yochanan wrote on the subject in 1 John 3: 10, saying: ‘By this the children of Elohim and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of Elohim, nor the one who does not love his brother.’ But what is righteousness? We see from Psalm 119: 35 – 40 that Torah is righteousness, as follows: ‘Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it. (36) Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, and not to dishonest gain. (37) Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Thy ways. (38) Establish Thy word to Thy servant, as that which produces reverence for Thee. (39) Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Thine ordinances are good. (40) Behold, I long for Thy precepts; revive me through Thy righteousness.’ Messiah told the Canaanite woman who asked Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter His main purpose for coming to earth in Matthew 15: 24, saying: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Rav Yaa’cov also confirmed this after the Apostle’s discussion about circumcision in Acts 15: 13 – 18, 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 (meaning those Israelites dispersed 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 YHYVH, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM OF OLD.’

Let’s now get back to verse 3 & 4 of Ephesians 1, where Rav Shaul tells us about the mystery of Messiah whom only those YHVH is calling to return to the covenant relationship with Him, through Yahshua understand at this time. To discover what this mystery is and why those who believe that Yahshua is a second YHVH and the Set-apart Spirit is simply the power of Elohim are wrong, let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 1 and read from verses 22 – 24, as follows: ‘For indeed Jews ask for signs; and Greeks search for wisdom; (23) but we preach Messiah crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, (24) but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Messiah the power of Elohim and the wisdom of Elohim.’ Most Jews who have studied the Jerusalem translation of the Hebrew into Aramaic know that G-d created to world through wisdom, since this translation of Genesis 1: 1 reads: ‘With wisdom God created the heavens and the earth.’ In addition Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 10: 12, saying: ‘It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.’ The Hebrew scientist Dr. Gerald Schroeder in an article published by Aish.com, entitled: ‘Seeing God in the Physics Lab’, writes: ‘Wisdom is the substrate, the basis of existence. The biblical claim is that all existence rests on something as intangible as the word of the Divine. As it says: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Psalm 33: 6). Substitute the word “information” for “wisdom” and you are into the labs of physics at MIT, Princeton, Stanford, University of Vienna. This is physics, not philosophy, the quantum physics of the 21st century. And it has been the opening word of the Torah for over three millennia.

As the equation of words states: Metaphysics   Physics  Emergent

YHVH Wisdom Energy Mass Life Brain Mind Wisdom

YHVH W E M L B M

YHVH W E M L B

YHVH W E M L

YHVH W E M

YHVH W E

YHVH W

YHVH

Suddenly, the source of the complex order that guides every form of life, from bacterium to human, is clear. It is the wisdom of the Divine that forms the foundation of all existence. Our universes, and we ourselves, are built by the word of God. As the Talmud declares: “God looked into the Torah and created the world.”’ Imagine the surprise when one day in the near future our Jewish Brothers come face to face with Messiah when He returns on the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) to save the tents of Judah first (as per Zechariah 12: 7) and they accept Him when they see His hands (as per Zechariah 12: 10). But also imagine the reaction of those who believe in two (YHVH)’s and that the Set-apart Spirit is simply the power of Elohim. We see from 1 Corinthians 1: 24, Rav Shaul clearly identified Yahshua as being the power and wisdom of Elohim.

Rav Shaul continues to tell us about the wisdom and power of Elohim, namely Yahshua in 1 Corinthians 2: 1 - 14, saying: ‘And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of Elohim. (2) For I determined to know nothing among you except Yahshua Messiah, and Him crucified. (3) And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. (4) And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of Elohim (Yahshua as explained in 1 Corinthians 1: 24). (6) Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; (7) but we speak Elohim’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which Elohim predestined before the ages to our glory; (8) the wisdom which none of the rulers of the age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Master of glory; (and if they did not crucify Yahshua, we would not have access to the Set-apart Spirit without which we cannot inherit eternal live, since Messiah had to die for it to come to us) (9) but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT ELOHIM HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” (10) For to us Elohim revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of Elohim. (11) For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of Elohim no one knows except the Spirit of Elohim. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things freely given to us by Elohim, (13) which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.’

Next, let’s consider verses 6 & 7 of Ephesians 1, where Rav Shaul tells us that the Gentiles, whom we have now identified as members of the lost ten tribes dispersed into the nations of the world and who became as Gentiles to YHVH, are fellow heirs with those who remained loyal to YHVH, through his one seed Yahshua as Rav Shaul also explained in Galatians 4 – essentially saying now that we have returned to the covenant relationship with YHVH through Yahshua, we will again inherit our portion of the Promised Land, since Yahshua bought it back for us as our kinsman Redeemer. Rav Shaul continued to inform the Ephesians in Ephesians 1 about Messiah’s main purpose, but also explained this to the congregation in Rome, saying in Romans 11: 1 – 5: ‘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) “Adonai, 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.’ Rav Shaul tells those of us whom YHVH has again chosen, part of our duty at this time in Romans 11: 11, saying: ‘I say then, they (the Jews) 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 (since we now also keep the same Feast Days and eat the same kosher foods as they do). Continuing in verses 12 – 15 of Romans 11, Rav Shaul tells us what the end result will be when their eyes are opened to Yahshua, saying: ‘Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! (13) But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, (14) if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen (meaning Jews) and save some of them. (15) For if their rejection (of Messiah) be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?’

Rav Shaul concludes this section by giving us the reason why Elohim has blinded our Jewish brothers to Yahshua at this time in Romans 11: 24 – 31, saying: ‘For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree (meaning, even though we have some Israelite blood in our veins, we are considered to be a wild olive tree because we were mixed into the nations and also accepted their pagan cultures and ways, before returning to YHVH and His Torah through Yahshua), and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches (Jews) be grafted into their own olive tree? (25) For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to (Jewish) Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (those Israelites from the lost ten tribes who used to believe they are Gentiles, plus a number of real Gentiles) has come in: (26) and thus all Israel (from both houses)will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. (27) AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” (28) From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of Elohim’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; (29) for the gifts and the calling of Elohim are irrevocable. (30) For just as you once were disobedient to Elohim, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, (31) so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.’ Those who do not believe that the body of Messiah will be made up of a remnant of first fruits from both houses who will if they remain faithful to the end become the first born again from the dead sons of Elohim, similar to what Yahshua became the Son of Elohim after His resurrection, as shown in Romans 1: 1 – 4, need to also consider Jeremiah’s prophecy about the renewed covenant that Yahshua will enter into with a remnant of both houses of Israel at His return in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34, saying: “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 I will make with the house of Israel (the one YHVH scattered into the world because of idolatry) after those days,” declares YHVH, “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.” Both Ephesians 2: 11 – 16 and this prophecy in Jeremiah confirm that a remnant of both houses of Israel are the body of Messiah, but will also become the bride of Messiah whom He will remarry at His return.

Yahshua taught Rav Shaul this but He also told it to the scribes and the Pharisees as the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15: 11 – 32, since he knew it will affect their latter day counterparts directly when YHVH start calling members of the lost ten tribes back to Him as He promised through the prophecies of many of the prophets in the Tanach. Quite naturally one expects the house of Judah to get upset with us as the returnees from the lost ten tribes, who YHVH is personally calling back to conform to the image of Yahshua and to ultimately become co-rulers with them under Yahshua, as Yahshua also indicated in the parable in Luke 15: 18 – 32, in this way: “I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; (19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your slaves.”’ (20) And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (21) And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ (22) but the father said to his salves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; (23) and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; (24) for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again, he was lost, and has been found. And they began to be merry. (25) Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. (26) And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things might be. (27) And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ (28) But he became angry, and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began entreating him. (29) But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends; (30) but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots (false churches of the world), you killed the fattened calf for him. (31) And he said to him, ‘My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. (32) But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” Very few people understand that this parable is about the eventual return of the lost ten tribes to YHVH, whilst Judah remained loyal to him, because they, including some of those who are busy returning are not seeking truth from the right sources.

But the reason might also be that YHVH does not want them to understand it at this time, since the getting together of the House of Judah and the House of Israel is directly related to the kingdom of Elohim. We need to recall when Yahshua’s disciples asked Him in Matthew 13: 10, saying: “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered them in verses 11, 12 and the first part of verse 19, saying: “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. (12) For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” YHVH has a plan to bring the two houses together and no one on earth will be able to change that, as He prophesied through the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37: 18 – 24, saying: “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 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.”

Some of the groups mentioned before, believe that this prophecy by Zechariah 37: 15 – 28 is somehow about the second resurrection and only those called from the house of Israel will be made Priests under Messiah in the coming kingdom of Elohim. But we read from Isaiah 66: 20 & 21 that we from the lost ten tribes will also be made priest, in addition to those from Judah, in this way: “Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering (meaning first fruits) to YHVH, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain (Government) Jerusalem,” says YHVH, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of Elohim. (21) I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says YHVH.’ These same groups believe that the house of Judah will only be in the second resurrection, with the rest of the house of Israel not called during this time. I agree that Zechariah 37: 1 – 14 is talking about the physical second resurrection before the great white throne period. However, we know that King David together with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob mentioned in Hebrews 11 will be in the first better resurrection as confirmed in verse 32 - 35 of Hebrews 11, as follows: ‘And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, (33) who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, (34) quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (35) Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection.’ We also know that the first resurrection will be the better resurrection, as witnessed in Revelation 20: 6, in this way: ‘Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’ Those in the first resurrection will be resurrected as spiritual children of Elohim, and will rule as kings and priests in the kingdom of Elohim.

The reason why there will also be flesh and blood people living during the millennium rule of Messiah, is because there will be survivors of the Great Tribulation who will enter the kingdom of Elohim as physical people. They will in the course of their lives during the millennium be taught Elohim’s salvation truth and most of them will repent and be saved, since Satan and his demons will not be able to influence those alive during that time. Some of the people who will live into the millennium as flesh and blood human beings will be the children of those who will be resurrected as spiritual kings and priest under Messiah, as witnessed in Isaiah 61: 6 – 10, as follows: ‘But you will be called the priests of YHVH; you will be spoken of as ministers of our Elohim. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (7) Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs. (8) For I, YHVH, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (9) Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom YHVH has blessed.’ So whether we like it or not, the body of Messiah, but also the bride of Messiah will consist of a remnant from both houses of Israel, who will rule under Messiah from Jerusalem. Baruch Hashem YHVH!