“Other sheep that are not of this sheep pen”?

John 10:16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold – I have to bring them as well, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

Ezekiel 34:23 And I shall raise up over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he shall feed them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.

Ezekiel 37:24 …while David My servant is sovereign over them. And they shall all have one shepherd and walk in My right-rulings and guard My laws, and shall do them.

Who are “them” and “they” in the above passages?
Study Ezekiel 37 in context and you’ll see both Houses of Israel are being referenced, both the House of Judah (the Jews) and the House of Ephraim/Joseph (a multitude of peoples), two sticks joined together into one Stick by the Son of Man. The “other sheep” Yeshua (Jesus) was speaking of in John 10:16 is plainly, simply, and clearly the House of Joseph… the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10:6; 15:24)… which were NOT in the Land of Israel in the First Century when Yeshua lived (see History and Timeline of Israel and Judah).

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Worldwide Biblical Zionists

Opportunities for Ephraim (10-Israel) to escape to Israel are increasing. One of the most notable recent developments is the formation of Worldwide Biblical Zionists. Their website is still under-development, but here is a brochure detailing their purpose and plans: pdf version.

Eddie Chumney (Hebraic Heritage Ministries) is taking on a big role in the newly formed org and he with Joel Bell, the founder/director, are drumming up alot of excitement and controversy…. all connected to the “controversy of Zion” of course. They also have a loose partnership with the World Likud Organization, which is causing some dismay among Messianics. Actually, I think the core of the dismay is that there is now one more competing force for Ephraim’s wallet and attention (but that is the humble pessimist within me speaking).

I’m not privy to all the details, but it seems World Evangelical Zionists is the original org that has taken on a different name but with similar or exact same purpose.

I’ve really enjoyed listening to Joel Bell’s heart and passion when talking about Ephraim standing with Judah and “building up Zion”. You can watch and/or hear him and other key players speak at:

Personally, I’m still watching and learning as much as I can before forming a strong opinion. WBZ may be the real deal. Joel Bell has gotten alot of Judah’s attention because of his compassionate support of the Gush Katif refugees. I suspect we’ll be hearing much more from WBZ in the months and years to come, if they are what they claim to be and if יהוה is for them.

The Lost 10 Tribes in Rabbinic Literature

If you’re a One-Houser (someone who doesn’t accept the Two-House reality), then put on your seat belt because the incoming article is going to rip the cover off of your One-House paradigm better than any other you’ve scrutinized. Will the Lost Tribes Return? An Analysis of the Lost Tribes in Rabbinic Literature by Dennis Jones.

A brief segment of the article…

Have you ever asked yourself, “Will the Lost Tribes return?” It is a question which should be taken seriously by every student of the Bible. And yet, unfortunately, it is a question that does not even arise in the minds of millions of individuals who claim to believe the Bible and who claim to follow the Biblical faith. It is not that the term, “Lost Tribes,” is unknown. On the contrary, in the English speaking world, in particular, it has become widely known, having been bandied about in various book titles, newspaper and magazine articles, and even championed by some popular and not so popular religious groups. The tragedy is, however, that the vast majority of those who are familiar with the concept of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” have not taken it the least bit seriously. Instead, they have summarily relegated the subject of the Lost Tribes to the status of legend, fable or fantasy, without so much as a cursory investigation of the possible truth of the matter in Biblical and historical sources.

Now, these are not ignorant people; in fact, just the opposite. These individuals have excelled in various fields, from science, to mathematics, to social sciences, to history, and even including religion. Many have a fair to above average knowledge in all of these disciplines. One must wonder why so many relatively learned individuals, particularly those associated with one of the major religions associated with the Bible—Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism—have remained ignorant of the facts concerning the Lost Tribes of Israel. Is it that the idea of Lost Tribes does not have a solid Biblical and historical foundation? Or is it that the existence of lost Israelites is theologically irrelevant? Does the possible existence of several hundred million descendants of Jacob, who are currently unaware of their identity, but who may in the near future return to the God of Israel, to His Torah/Law as the standard of living, and to a close relationship with the Jewish people, not have a significant bearing on current beliefs and future social and political developments? Indeed, it will become obvious in the very near future that those who have brushed aside the vital topic of the Lost Tribes of Israel, without even an investigation, have made a grave mistake.

Fortunately, the situation is rapidly changing. Read full article…

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“Are you one of the Joes?”

Recently, after sharing this website with a friend, she responded with this:

I noticed the “jewsandjoes”–I have to chuckle, since this last Sukkot in Israel, there were 15 with me at the Jaffa Gate. Several of our group were stopped by Orthodox Jews asking, “Are you one of the Joes?”
They know who we are…

I’m curious if others have experienced similar approaches by Judah. If so, please share them by leaving a comment below or from the link near the title.

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What Tribes made up the Northern Kingdom of Israel?

Israel (Jacob) had 12 sons with his two wives and their two handmaids. They were born in order as follows:

The Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom
Of the 12 sons (tribes), ten eventually split off at the end of King Solomon’s reign and became the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

The Southern Kingdom of Judah
Judah and Benjamin became known as the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Cohanim (Priests) of the Tribe of Levi were mainly present in the Land of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but they (Levi) nor Simeon received land inheritance because of their actions at Shechem (Genesis 49:5-7), but were instead scattered in the midst of both Kingdoms.

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