First thing to note, is that the Ezekiel 37 two sticks prophecy is specifically God declaring He is going to join the stick of "Judah" (Jews) with the stick of "Ephraim" (representing Israel of the 10 tribes) in final back to Israel's original lands of inheritance, pointing to the future time of His Kingdom on earth.
Shalom, veteran.
I'll be somewhat gentler with you, but you also need to learn a few things. First of all, if you're going to quote 1 Chronicles 5:1-2a, you need to "drop the other shoe" and read the rest of the paragraph through verse 3:
1 Chron 5:1-3
5 1 The sons of Re’uven the firstborn of Isra’el — he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Yosef the son of Isra’el, though not in such a way as for him to be regarded in the genealogy as the firstborn. 2 For Y’hudah became greater than his brothers, inasmuch as the ruler came from him; nevertheless, the birthright went to Yosef. 3 So these are the sons of Re’uven the firstborn of Isra’el: Hanokh, Pallu, Hetzron and Karmi.
CJB
No need to quote the 3rd verse of 1 Chron.5, for that's a change of subject away from the birthright that went to Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. I use a 1611 KJV Bible which is accurate enough on the matter.
As in the account of Esav and Ya`aqov (Esau and Jacob), Ya`aqov acquired TWO things from Esav: His birthright (which Esav sold to Ya`aqov for some red stew, Gen. 25:29-34) and His blessing (which Ya`aqov stole from Esav through trickery, Gen. 27:6-29).
Jacob stole nothing from Esau. The birthright was Jacob's to begin with, as per God's answer to Rebekah per Gen.25:22-23. Even Apostle Paul taught in Rom.9 (from Malach 1) how God said He hated Esau, but loved Jacob, even before either child was born. Nor did Jacob 'acquire' the birthright, for it was not Esau's prophetically, nor legally, as even you admitted. If anything, Isaac was stubborn for having preferred Esau over Jacob, when God did not. This is why Rebekah prodded Jacob to go get what was rightfully his. And to show Esau's theiving character as the real one trying to steal the birthright, Esau still demanded the blessing from Isaac after it had been given to Jacob, and Esau still claimed Jacob stole the birthright afterwards! So the 'he stole it from me' idea still being pushed today is a mark of the children of Esau that are angry at God for His not letting their father Esau steal Jacob's birthright.
Although the birthright passed on to Yosef through his sons Efrayim and Manasheh, the blessing did not! Historically speaking, Re'uven WAS the first one of the twelve sons of Isra'el to be born, but as noted, he "defiled his father's bed" by having an affair with his father's concubine, Bilhah, the mother of Dan and Naftaliy (Gen. 35:22). The next two, Shim`own and Leviy, did not deserve the blessing because of their massacre of the men of an entire city, Shechem, while the men were incapacitated because of their sister's defilement (Gen. 34:1-31). The next in line for the blessing was Y'hudah. Thus, it was through Y'hudah's line that the Messiah would come (Gen. 49:8-12).
Wrong. God's Birthright blessings emphatically continued to Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. That's still where it exists today. The birthright blessing contains several promises, and one of the main promises was about Abraham having as many children as the sands of the sea, and stars of the sky. Apostle Paul interpreted that for us about Abraham involving The Gospel Promise, for believing Jews only? Nope, for Gentiles also, all who believe The Gospel of Jesus Christ becoming the children of Abraham.
Unbelieving Jews cannot claim that promise, for they refuse Jesus of Nazareth as The Christ Messiah. And that pretty much covers the majority... of Jews today in the world. So it's obvious God's Gospel Promise first to Abraham did not continue with Jews as a majority, AT ALL! It's pretty easy to look at God's promises given through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, to discover how the majority of Jews are not included in those promises.
The Scriptures are very honest about the dirty secrets in the "soap operas" of real people's lives. Mattityahu (Matthew) tells of four of them in the lineage of Yeshua` in Matthew 1:1-16: Y'hudah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar; Salmon with the redeemed prostitute, Rachav; Bo`az with the Moavitah, Rut; and David with the wife of Uriyahu, Bat-Sheva`. All four of these would be a disgrace for one reason or another to the P'rushiym (Pharisees=Separatists) and the Ts'dukiym (Sadducees=Righteous Ones).
Christ Jesus' lineage is not in Matthew 1; those who think it is follow a Pharisee Jewish tradition which denies the Incarnation of Jesus Christ into Mary's womb by The Holy Spirit. Matthew 1 is the lineage from Solomon of Joseph the husband of Mary.
Christ's lineage is from Mary only, as per Luke 3, through David's son Nathan.
Thus, the two main tribes, Y'hudah and Yosef's "firstborn" (actually the second son born to him), Efrayim, received the blessing and the birthright respectively. This is why the division of the 10 tribes and the two tribes during the early part of the reign of R'chav`aam (Rehoboam) became known as "Efrayim" and "Y'hudah," later called "Isra'el" (consisting of the 10 of the 12 tribes) and "Y'hudah" (after the kingly line), and then by the names of their lands, "Shomroniy (Samaria)" and "Y'hudiy (Judaea)."
I view Judah given the royal sceptre rule per Gen.49:10 and 1 Chron.5:2 as being part of God's birthright. It was certainly a promise to David and his offspring forever (2 Sam.7).
You're wrong about Judah being later known as 'Israel' after the split in Jeroboam's days (1 Kings 11 through 2 Kings 17). After the split, only the 10 tribe northern "kingdom of Israel" was known as Israel back then. The tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Levi, and
a small remnant from the northern tribes, made up the "kingdom of Judah" per God's Word. The Bible term "house of Israel" is SPECIFIC TO THE 10 TRIBES ONLY. Thus Ephraim, Samaria, house of Israel, Israel, Joseph, etc., came to represent ONLY the 10 tribes after the split in Solomon's days. And Jerusalem, Judah, Judea, house of Judah, house of David, came to represent only Judah, Benjamin, and Levi after the split, which later became known as Jews.
Y'hudah never had the birthright, and it was therefore never taken away from that tribe!
Like I said, I view the royal rule to Judah as being part of God's birthright. Reason for that is because God REMOVED it from Judah in Jerusalem. The house of David is no longer in Jerusalem, not even today! Not since Jeremiah's day (around 500 B.C.?). No king of the house of David has sat upon a throne in Jerusalem since Jeremiah the prophet.
When Isra'el was carried away to Asshur (Assyria), they did not have a time when they came back. When Y'hudah was carried away to Bavel (Babylon), they WERE promised a return through God's representative, Koresh (Cyrus) II the Great. And, they did finally return - in part - to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah. WITH THEM also came some from the other tribes, as well, for Asshur was swallowed up by Bavel and Media-Persia! Not everyone decided to return, and there was a large Isra'eli presence in Persia for a long time.
God removed the 10 tribe "house of Israel" kingdom captive to Assyria and the land of the Medes first (2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:1-6; 2 Kings 18:9-11; 1 Chron.5:17-26). The "kingdom of Judah" still remained intact in the south at Jerusalem/Judea. The 10 tribes went captive around 120 years prior to the king of Babylon taking the southern kingdom of Judah captive.
Per 1 Kings 12:17, small remnants from the 10 northern tribes that 'already' lived in Judea in the south chose to remain with Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. That happened at the first split of Israel into two separate kingdoms. Then a little later, when Jeroboam of Ephraim over the 10 tribes in the north setup gold calf idol worship, the Levites in the north moved south to join with the "house of Judah" at Jerusalem, as also another small remnant of the 10 tribes did (2 Chron.10 thru 11). After that the two groups remained separate kingdoms and peoples, and even had war against each other. God then removed
all the 10 tribes of Israel from the land, by the king of Assyria.
Nevertheless, through this migration back to the Land by both Y'hudiym (Jews) and Yisra'eliym (Isra'elis, Isra'elites), the term "Y'hudiym" began to apply to BOTH! This is when all Isra'elis began to be called "Jews," primarily because, when they did come back, they all lived in the Land close to Yerushalayim in the land belonging to the tribe of Y'hudah, at first.
When the small remnant of the "house of Judah" (Judah, Benjamin, Levi) returned to Jerusalem after the 70 years Babylon captivity, they had... to take the name Israel then also, simply because the 10 tribes called 'Israel' after the original split were still... captive in the lands above Babylon. This is why the Behistun Rock in northern Iraq (Ectabana) above the area Babylon still exists to document the 10 tribe captivity separate from Judah's captivity at Babylon.
The northern 10 tribes who were NOT carried away to Asshur but were left in the Land, these people intermarried with Goyim (Gentiles) who usurped the Land. These Goyim were from city-states still among the Isra'eli cities since the time of Y'hoshua` (Joshua) and the Shoftiym (Judges), and from other countries, such as cities of Media that were sent to the Land after the captivity of the 10 northern tribes and people from Idumea (Edom, the children of Esav). These became the Shomroniym (Samaritans)during the rule of the Hasmodians (including the "Maccabees"), the reign of Herod the Great, and the reign of Rome over the Land. They were a mixed people that partially descended from the 10 tribes.
Yet, the Scripture states ALL... of Israel (10 tribes) were removed out of the northern lands (2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:1-6; 2 Kings 18:9-11; 1 Chron.5:17-26). Possibility of a few being left that may have mixed among the Babylonians which the 10 tribes were replaced with, but a few means a few, and certainly not the majority of the 10 tribes.
II Ki 17:18-23
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.
21 For He rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
23
Until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
(KJV)
The areas the 10 tribes were scattered by the kings of Assyria reached all the way up into the regions of Kurdistan, Turkey, and Armenia.
When the Romans deported the Jews from the Land in the Roman participation of the Diaspora, they also took the Shomroniym. This happened both in 70 A.D. and in 135 A.D. after the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
While there may be some evidence for a belief in the 10 Tribes being removed to various parts of Europe, particularly in the British Isles, they were not exclusively moved there, and there are pockets of Isra'elis who have been living all over the known world at the time! From portions of China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Persia (Iran) to the far western reaches of Brittain, Spain, and Morocco, the "Jews" (Isra'elis) were dispersed. From Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to the Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Arabian Peninsula, one may still find pockets of "Jews." Since the days of the Holocaust and WWII, pockets of "Jews" (Isra'elis) can also be found in the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and even some countries in South America!
The 10 tribes made up the majority of the people of total Israel, and they didn't call themselves Jews. The majority of the 10 tribes had already been scattered prior to any world naming convention of the word 'Jew'. The Jewish historian Josephus said that name began with the small returning remnant to Jerusalem after the Babylon captivity. The Babylon captivity by Nebuchadnezzar was not the different captivities of the 10 northern tribes that were removed much earlier. The 10 tribes had already been gone for more than a 100 years just when Judah's captivity to Babylon only started.
And then Judah's captivity to Babylon lasted what? 70 years? So there's another 70 years tacked onto 120 years before when the 10 tribes were first removed, making it almost 200 years the 10 tribes had already been gone out of the northern holy lands. And only then... after around 200 years, did the Jew's captivity at Babylon end.
The Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 100) said this about the division of the Jews from the 10 tribes still in his days:
"When Esdras had received this epistle, he was very joyful, and began to worship God, and confessed that he had been the cause of the king's great favor to him, and that for the same reason he gave all the thanks to God. So he read the epistle at Babylon to those Jews that were there; but he kept the epistle itself, and sent a copy of it to all those of his own nation that were in Media. And when these Jews had understood what piety the king had towards God, and what kindness he had for Esdras, they were all greatly pleased; nay, many of them took their effects with them, and came to Babylon, as very desirous of going down to Jerusalem;
but then the entire body of the people of Israel remained in that country; wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers." (Josephus,
Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, Chapter 5, Sec.2)
Other evidence also exists to show that the greater body of ten tribe Israelites were a majority in the lands around Turkey, Armenia, and the Caucasus later, with translation of Assyrian tablets by Leroy Waterman, professor of Oriental languages at the University of Michigan in the 1930's. He linked through translation of the Assyrian tablets the name 'Cimmerian' to what the Assyrians called the 10 tribe Israelites.
That of course, is a totally separate history from the Jewish Diaspora.
Prophecy says that they will return from all over the earth, from whatever countries into which they were sent, both before the Messiah returns and then when the Messiah calls them home after His return. Anyone whose last name is Cohen, Cohn, Cahn or Levi is probably from the tribe of Leviy from which the priests were selected. ("Cohen" is Hebrew for "priest.") However, you will also find those whose last name is Reuben, or Dani, or Rosen, or ... who come from ANY of the other tribes as well as Y'hudah! One can go to
http://en.wikipedia....Jewish_surnames and find many other names. Remember: "Jewish" names are not just strictly "Jewish" names (as from the tribe of Y'hudah) but may refer to any Isra'eli names, as well.
However, the Goyim (Gentiles) are not "Jewish" at all - not Isra'eli at all! They are NON-Jews!
You're trying to assign Jewish tradition to history about the ten tribes of Israel which never were Jews. The ten tribes fell into different customs than Jewish customs, and a lot of Jewish customs of the Pharisee traditions came later anyway, after the ten tribes had already been removed captive to Assyria and areas of Kurdistan, Turkey and Armenia!!! So you can't just arbitrarily try to assign all ten tribes Israelites as Jews when they don't have a Jewish history nor tradition.
You can however, properly assign a Jewish traditiion to the Jewish Diaspora (Jewish dispersion or scattering), since those were linked with the "house of Judah" (Jews) back to the time of the split of Israel in Solomon's days, and were captive as Judah, Benjam, and Levi to Babylon prior to their scattering. Yet that Jewish captivity to Babylon for 70 years did not involve the 10 tribe Israelites, and I've seen Jews try to confuse by linking the 10 tribes to it, when Jewish rabbi in the Jewish Encyclopedia itself admits the 10 tribes remained separate from the later Jew's Babylon captivity and return to Jeruslaem.
There's a major difference between the unbelieving Jews still today. So I'd be careful brethren of fruitless talk of how unbelieving Jews only lack belief on Jesus Christ to be better than us believing Gentiles on Jesus Christ.
The religion of the Jews and traditions of the Pharisees has many 'corruptions' away from the original Word of God. That's what Apostle Paul left after Christ converted him, i.e., the Jews' religion (Gal.1:13-14). Those corruptions among the religion of the Jews came from the old paganism of the Canaanite nations, for that's where the Kenite foreigners that later became Jewish scribes originated (1 Chron.2:55; Gen.15). During and after their Babylon captivity, foreigner Nethinims (temple servants) became priests per the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. And even the elders of Judah had been found with wives of the Canaantes per Ezra 9. By the time of Christ's first coming, foreigners of the Canaanite nations and children of Esau had become religious Jews, with even the high priest office being taken over (per Jewish historian Josephus).
Another corruption among Judah happenned during their Babylon captivity with the creation of the Babylonian Talmud sage mystical philosophy writings. Those writings are only loosely based on God's Word of The Old Testament, and they are the foundation of the Pharisee and Sadduccee religious traditions of the Jews. Within some of those writings they justify murder of the Goyim (Gentiles) at the expense of Jewish brethren, morally treating us Gentiles as worth nothing more than 'cattle'. It was becaue of their following those old Jewish Talmudic traditions in old Europe that caused many of the western European countries under Christianity to deport them.
This is why our Lord Jesus rebuked the leaders among the Jews so heavily at His first coming, warning His disciples and the multitudes about them (Matt.24; John 8). We were told in Jude 1 about "certain men" that were ordained of old to the condemnation against Christ Jesus. That's what the corrupt Jewish leadership at Christ's first coming represented, and still represents today. The Jew's religion is allied much closer to the tenets and beliefs of radical Islam than with Christianity. Like radical Islam, the Jew's religion morally sees those who refuse to convert to their religion as mere cattle to be destroyed.
Not all orthodox Jews follow the heart of the Talmudic sage mystical-philosophical traditions of the Pharisees from old Babylon. But neither do all Muslims practice radical extremism against all Christians. Yet the seed is still there per their religious structure and religious leadership, and we should be duly warned. This is why we can find today orthodox Jewish organizations that are vehemently against Christianity, and do things to persecute Christians. So be careful of what you support with them, because it's going to be first and foremost according to their aims and strategy, and not according to Christ's work.
