Things “One-Housers” hope You never find out!

If you don’t already know, a “One-Houser” is someone who denies that there remains a Two House/Two Kingdom reality of Israel in modern times. They view “the Jews” as exclusively representing all 12 tribes of Israel. Their world-view/paradigm is basically opposite to that of a “Two-Houser”, which is better defined here: Two House Theology (Reality) defined and defended.

So here are some things “One-Housers” hope you never find out (you’ll rarely ever hear them mention these things when they accuse Two-Housers of “lies”, “error”, “heresy”, and/or “bad exegesis“):

Please Note: “Two-Housers” will one day be “One-Housers” also, but that transition will only take place after the-Anointed Son of David (Ha-Mashaikh ben Dawid) unites both Houses into One House, or One Stick as Ezekiel 37 prophesies He will do in the Last Days. We are in the Last Days, so that transition and this battle of world-views will be over SOON! Halleluyah!!

Related Content:

Palestinians descended from Northern Kingdom (10-Tribe) Israelites?

Not long ago I was doing some Google keyword research and came upon an article claiming that the Palestinians are the best modern representation of the ancient Northern Kingdom-House of Joseph, otherwise known as the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. Perplexed at the author’s ignorance of the historical account and the prophecies regarding the 10-Tribe return, I emailed him asking a couple quick questions which later became a much more lengthy dialog. Some may find it interesting. I realize the author has not and likely will not truly consider my critique of his evidence, but hopefully others may. Not wanting my time spent to be completely wasted, our correspondence is laid out below for others to read from start to finish (I’ve removed my and his email addresses for privacy reasons). It is a bit lengthy and not for the faint of heart.

————Original Message————-
From: Hanok [mailto:…@jewsandjoes.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 5:51 PM
To: …@lycos.com
Subject: Israel and the Palestinians in Prophecy?

Just read your article here: http://www.angelfire.com/journal/bibleissues/israel/israel_palestinian.htm

I’m curious how you reconcile the prophecies that the House of Joseph (Israel) would become a multitude of nations? The Palestinians have certainly not become such. Also, prophecies record the House of Joseph would be brought back from the four corners of the earth. Have the Palestinians recently been re-gathered to the Land of Israel?

-Hanok
JewsAndJoes.com

“And I shall strengthen the House of Jew-dah, and I shall save the House of Joe-seph. And I shall bring them back, because I have compassion on them.” - Zechariah 10:6a

————Original Message————-
From: Jerry Chin [mailto:…@lycos.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 2:22 PM
To: …@jewsandjoes.com
Subject: [RE]Israel and the Palestinians in Prophecy?

The prophecy of Ephraim becoming a company of nations is contingent on obedience (Genesis 48:15-20 RSV).

Jacob’s blessing clearly states he and his fathers “walked” before God (v15). The Hebrew text concerning the angel reads, “may he bless.” What would happen if Joseph’s children didn’t walk as Jacob? In verse 16, Jacob says, “let my name be perpetuated”, and “let them grow into a multitude.” If the blessing was guaranteed, Jacob would have said “my name will be perpetuated,” and “they will grow into a multitude.”

The actual blessing takes priority over verse 19, where Jacob says Ephraim will become a company of nations. Verse 19 was Jacob’s explanation to Joseph why he placed his right hand on Ephraim. It probably reflected his true desire for Joseph’s children, but it was not part of the blessing.

Note how Zechariah 10 makes no mention of Joseph’s children being a company of nations. Nor does it say the house of Joseph would be great. It only states they will be numerous. This supports the idea that the blessing was contingent on obedience.

(If you have a concordance, just look up Ephraim. You’ll find many unflattering prophecies concerning Ephraim: Isaiah 9:9,21 11:13 28:1,3 Jeremiah 31:20 Hosea 4:47 7:8,11 9:3,11. If the blessing in Genesis 48:15-20 was guaranteed, it would not fit any of these verses. The Bible would not make any sense.)

This is not to say Jacob’s entire blessing came to nothing. In Genesis 49:26, we see that some aspects of what he said would come true.

The Palestinians currently have their own diaspora just like the Jews. Most of them are in the Middle East. Half of the kingdom of Jordan is Palestinian. (Palestine and Jordan used to be Transjordan.) There are sizeable communities/refugee camps in Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq. Zechariah 10:10 mentions these areas specifically. This prophecy only mentions the house of Joseph being numerous.

The prophecy in Zechariah is definite. Whether Ephraim and Manasseh are obedient or not does not change this prophecy. God will bring them back. This prophecy is still in the process of being fulfilled.

————Original Message————-
From: Hanok [mailto:…@jewsandjoes.com]
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 5:41 PM
To: ‘Jerry Chin’
Subject: RE: [RE]Israel and the Palestinians in Prophecy?

Yes indeed. The Prophets were unflattering to the House of Joseph… and deservedly so, but almost always, it is followed up with statements of compassion. The scroll of Hosea is one of the best examples of this. In the very first chapter, it clearly says they would be punished and scattered, but then in their exile they would become as numerous as the “sand of the sea”. Have you not read verses such as this? Where were the conditions there Sir Jerry?

The promise of multitudes was first given to Abraham, was it not? And was it conditional? And if it wasn’t conditional, then who are his promised multitudes? And what multitude could be his who walked perfectly in his way of righteousness? There isn’t any Jerry. House of Joseph has suffered miserably because of their evil, but yet they have multiplied not on their own account but on the account of Abraham’s righteousness.

Genesis 48:15-16 references the righteousness of Abraham and Isaac, thus the unconditional future promises to them that their seed would become a great multitude. You’re doing a lot of theological gymnastics to come upon your “conditional” conclusion. The promises to Abraham (Gen.35:11) and Isaac (Gen.22:17) were NOT contingent upon their seed being righteous. Ephraim simply inherited their unconditional promises. If Ephraim didn’t, then who did… since Abraham and Isaac had no conditions attached to their respective promises? Besides, why would Flavius Josephus reference the ten tribes of Israel in the 1st Century CE as being an immense multitude east of the Euphrates if they weren’t so?

Mildly sizable Palestinian populations in Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq do not fit with the ingathering prophecies … where they are regarded as being at the four corners of the earth (besides, why are you referencing so-called large populations in the Middle East when you already said the Ephraimite promise was “conditional”?).

I do not at all doubt the Palestinian people have Joseph, Judah, Ishmael, Canaan and who knows what else mixed in their gene pool. But to diminish the promise given to Ephraim is to unwittingly call YHVH, the Creator of the Universe, a liar. You would do well to reconsider that suggestion.

-Hanok
JewsAndJoes.com

————Original Message————-
From: R J Chin [mailto:…@accessv.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2008 9:41 AM
To: …@jewsandjoes.com
Subject: re: Palestinians as Israel

Sorry for the long time taken to reply. I seem to have email problems.

Did Ephraim really inherit Jacob’s blessing? You can’t assume he did just because it was Jacob’s wish. Abraham was perfectly happy to have two sons until Sarah insisted on Isaac. God later confirmed her decision. Isaac was going to bless Esau (not Jacob), but Rebekah intervened. It was only much later that an angel confirmed Isaac’s reluctant blessing of Jacob. Just as it was not up to Abraham or Isaac, so it was not up to Jacob. It was up to God’s sovereign will. And in this case there is no evidence God confirmed Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim.

You mention Josephus stating that Israel was numerous north east of the Euphrates. You’re not the first. Others have proposed the theory of Israel moving north and on into Europe. Of course the Europeans colonized and gave birth to many nations throughout the world. Thus it was claimed that either Britain or the USA was Ephraim. The current peoples of Europe all came out of the Siberian plateau. This is the land of Gog and Magog. I don’t think it wise to label anyone from this region as any part of Israel. Besides, Hosea 5:13, 7:11, 9:3, 11:5 and 11:11 all associate Ephraim with Assyria and Egypt in the Middle East. How do you explain these verses?

God did not promise Abraham that each generation of his descendants would be more numerous than the last. He promised an uncountable number of descendants as a whole. Abraham’s family line was never going to end, and thus his descendants would be uncountable. God’s promise did not guarantee that any of these generations would be extraordinarily numerous. Descendants numbering like the “sand of the sea” may not be as numerous as you think. Israel in King Solomon’s time was already said to be like the “sand” of the sea (1 Kings 4:20, 29). At that time, Israel probably numbered no more than 10 million.

Deuteronomy 4:27, and Isaiah 10:22 clearly state there will not be a massive return of exiles. Revelation 7:4 raises the possibility only 144000 from all the tribes will be accepted by God at the end. How do you reconcile your ideas with this?

You claim God’s promises to Abraham were unconditional. Isn’t circumcision a condition (Genesis 7:10)? What do you think the word “covenant” means? How do you explain the entire book of Deuteronomy? Deuteronomy 28:62 and Isaiah 48:17 clearly give the “conditions” necessary for God to make Abraham’s descendants like the “sand of the sea.”

I’m afraid you’re the one really out on a limb, stretching Abraham’s righteousness like a magic charm to support a blessing to Ephraim that never took place. (Abraham’s belief that God would do as He said, was “reckoned as righteous.” This is very different from saying Abraham himself was righteous.) Good luck trying to reconcile your ideas to the verses above, and to all parts of the Bible.

Jerry

————Original Message————-
From: Hanok [mailto:…@jewsandjoes.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 1:04 AM
To: ‘R J Chin’
Subject: RE: Palestinians as Israel

Fundamentally, we aren’t going to see eye to eye because you are arguing from the premise that the Palestinians are Israelites, while I’m arguing from the premise that Israel became the “fullness of the nations”(Genesis 48:19). I believe history, prophecy, and genetics all confirm my premise. If you like to see how genetics is confirming it, check it out here: Israelite and Noahic Haplogroup Hypotheses

Even so, I’d like to make an attempt to respond to your last email, particularly where you wish me “luck” in reconciling my ideas with all parts of the Bible:

1. The Almighty confirmed Ephraim inherited Jacob’s promise of “multitudes” through the Prophet Hosea, Isaiah, and others.

Isaiah 54:3: “For you shall break forth to the right and to the left, and your seed inherit the nations, and make the deserted cities inhabited.”

Hosea 1:10: “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which is not measured nor counted. And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they shall be called, ‘You are the sons of the living El.’”

2. You refer to Flavius Josephus as if he was some trivial historical source… which is interesting since most scholars who study the 1st century have high regards for what he recorded, being one of the most prominent sources of information from that period. He said Israel became a vast multitude in the same regions Assyria deported them to, yet you turn a blind-arrogant eye to what he said… even though it confirms what the Prophets said would come of Israel.

3. You assume the Europeans came out of the Siberian plateau based upon who knows what. Yet, genetics has confirmed they came to Europe via the Middle East and the Caucasus/Caspian (the region of the Medes to which the Assyrians deported Israel). Many of the Hebrew Prophets indicate Jacob would return from the north country (Zechariah 2:6) and from all the places YHVH scattered them (Isaiah 43:6; Jeremiah 31:8). Gog and Magog are also in the north country. This shouldn’t be alarming since Genesis confirms Japheth would dwell in the tents of Shem (Genesis 9:27). Hosea being commanded to marry a woman named “Gomer” is also a picture of Israelites and Japhetic peoples mixing in some fashion.

4. You’re right, the Most High “did not promise Abraham that each generation of his descendants would be more numerous than the last.” At least not in those words. But He did promise to Abraham that he would be a “father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5)… albeit… the promise was given in the Hebrew language and the English translation is remarkably true to the original text. Yet, you can and likely will interpret that to fit your Palestinian premise. But I’m going to interpret it as this: Abraham is going to be a “father of many nations”. I’ve documented a long list of the scriptural multitude promises here: The Birthright Promise of Multitudes in Scripture.

5. 10 million Israelites in King Solomon’s day? I’m not sure where you’re getting that number from, but let us assume you’re approximately correct. What can Exponential Population Growth do with 10 million Israelites after 3,000 years? I can tell you one thing: the meager Palestinian population doesn’t represent it!!!!! See my article here: Exponential Human Population Growth from Noah. You are either blind to the power of exponents or willfully ignorant of them. Also, your referencing 1Kings 4:20 (sands of the sea shore) doesn’t diminish the Prophecy of Hosea… but instead, it actually lends even greater credibility to what Israel has become over the last 3000 years sense.

6. I have not said there will be massive return of the House of Joseph to the Land. I’ve only verified that they themselves have become a multitude just as the Torah and Prophets said they would. There is no doubt in my mind that only a remnant will return to the Land of Israel, namely because that is what the Prophets indicate (i.e. Jeremiah 31:7). And I suspect even that remnant is going to shock the socks off of all the “theological gymnasts” like yourself… because even a remnant of the House of Joseph is going to cause them to cry out for more room when they return to the Land of Israel.

Isaiah 49:20 “The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, ‘The place is too cramped for me; Make room for me that I may live here.”

Note: The Palestinians don’t need more room in Israel. They just want the Jews to be gone. They only crowd in to under-capacity cities in the Gaza. There is plenty of room yet in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon where the bulk of their populations dwell.

7. Assyria’s capital was east of the Euphrates and east of the Euphrates is the location of most of the deportations. Yet, most of the Palestinians have no historical evidence of returning from Assyria. Maybe you’re getting confused with modern nation of Syria which is west of the Euphrates.

8. Now lets look at your Hosea references:

Hosea 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

Ephraim was deported to Assyria. No one is arguing about that. But this reference is to their call for alliance and help. Not deportation yet.

Hosea 7:11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

The Northern Kingdom called for the help of their old ally Egypt (Egypt and Phoenicia were allied with King David) when the King of Israel reneged on his promised financial tributes to the Assyrian king. As punishment, Assyria swiftly invaded and deported the first lot to “Assyria”, hence Hosea says “they go to Assyria”. It doesn’t say they went to Egypt in deportation… ONLY that they called for their help to fight against Assyria. Egypt didn’t nor could help at that stage.

Hosea 9:3 They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

The word “Egypt” here is translated from the Hebrew “Mitrayim” meaning “tribulation”… which is what Israel experienced in Egypt on the first go round. The prophets indicate the next Exodus will be so great it will cause us to forget the first Exodus out of Egypt, meaning it will be much larger than your ridiculous Israelite attribution to the Palestinian people (Jeremiah 23:7-8).

Hosea 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
Hosea 11:11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.

Verse 5 actually says Israel WON’T return to Egypt but instead to Assyria… which is the historical reality. Then verse 11 apparently contradicts verse 5 by saying Israel will come out of Egypt. This apparent contradiction is unraveled when considered with what I said earlier about “Mitrayim” connected to “Tribulation”… which makes even more sense when you consider verse eleven speaks of “trembling as a bird” out of Egypt… which is referencing “Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:1-11) during the period Christians call “the Tribulation”.

9. And regarding your tirade regarding the “promise of multitudes” being contingent or conditioned on Israel needing to keep the Torah covenant. When you consider the verses surrounding the promises of multitudes, you don’t find any conditions connected to the promise. And the fact that Hosea (mainly chapter 1), first showing the Northern Kingdom being punished and exiled because of their breaking of the covenant, and yet then still receiving the binding and unconditional promise of: “Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered”

Theological gymnastics of the most bizarre.

-Hanok

What happened to the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel? (Part-1)

Below is how you’ll likely hear this common question answered by mainstream “scholars” within Christianity and some Messianic Jewish circles:

Answer: There are many mysteries, legends, and traditions as to what happened to the 10 lost tribes of the Northern Kingdom. The truth is that the tribes were never lost. Most of the people of the Northern Kingdom were deported to ancient Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). Many of those who remained in the land re-united with Judah in the south (2 Chronicles 34:6-9). Assyria was then conquered by Babylon, who then went on to conquer and deport the two remaining tribes of the Southern Kingdom, Judah and Benjamin (2 Kings 25:21). When King Cyrus allows the Israelites to return to Israel (Ezra chapter 1), many from the northern ten tribes and southern two tribes returned to Israel. In the New Testament, the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36) was from the tribe of Asher (one of the 10 supposed lost tribes). In Jesus’ day, Israel was a mix of those from the former Northern and Southern Kingdoms. In the end times, God will call out witnesses from each of the 12 tribes (Revelation 7:4-8).

The answer above is actually taken directly from GotQuestions.org. It isn’t terribly unique in its attempt to diminish the prophetic promise of Israelite (Ephraimite) multitudes.

The answer says King Cyrus of Persia allowed Israelites from all 12 tribes to return to the Land of Israel, yet the books of Ezra and Nehemiah only account for Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. Isn’t that interesting? The answer says, “many from the northern ten tribes and southern two tribes returned to Israel”. Really? And what proof are we given of this? The presence of “many” is proved by the presence of “one” Asherite (Luke 2:36). Now that is compelling!

So what are the biggest problems with the above answer?

First of all, why would Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer be arguing about the return of the ten tribes of the House of Isarel as though it hadn’t happened yet (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 110b), if those tribes had already returned 500 years earlier as the answer above suggests?

Secondly, the Jewish Historian, Flavius Josephus, outright says the ten tribes were still east of the Euphrates River in the first century CE. See his discourse regarding the ten tribe by clicking here.

Thirdly, the Prophets of the Hebrew Scripture foretell the descendants of Ephraim would become a “multitude of nations” or “the fullness of the nations” (Genesis 49:18). If Ephraim already rejoined Jewdah, where are the “multitude of nations”? Can the “Jews” claim such? Arabs can claim numerous nations, but why not the “Jews”? The reality is: no tribe within the Kingdom of Judah was ever promised “nations”, but Ephraim was. To see the many promises from Scriptures, click here.

Fourthly, there are prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures, which clearly indicate a “Latter Day” context, where the House of Israel and the House of Judah are reunited then, in the Last Days, NOT in antiquity. The two sticks of Ezekiel 37 is probably the best known and the most clear prophecy with an End Times context. If the two Kingdoms rejoined during the reign of King Cyrus, as the answer above suggests, then how does one make sense of Ezekiel?

The ten tribes may not be “lost”, but they certainly are indiscernible to many, which was probably the ultimate plan of YHVH. To become “not a people” as Hosea prophesied, the Israelite people would need to become unknown (forgotten) to themselves and unknown (forgotten) to surrounding peoples.

Related Content:

Ephraimites or Ephra I am nots? (a rebuttal)

“Ephraimites or Ephra I am nots?” I must admit. It is a clever title, but the content of the article isn’t nearly as compelling, except for those who have already made up their minds. The article can be found and read here.

Ephraimites or Ephra I am nots?
Cleveland Jewish News/October 17, 2005
By Stephanie Garber

Imagine the outrage if a practicing Jew were to don a Roman collar, assume the title “priest,” and open his own “Catholic church,” interpreting its holidays and symbols however he liked, says Rabbi Tovia Singer, talk-show host, and founder and national director of Outreach Judaism.

First of all, she is laying the mental premise for all that follows: that those who she is about to attack are all imposters. What she hopes to plant in the mind of her reader is that Two House teachers are practicing one religion while trying to deceive another religious group into thinking he/she is a leader within their group. That of course would be offensive, but that isn’t the situation here, thus it isn’t a fair comparison. The number of teachers yet to be described herein are those who are actively and legitimately practicing Torah-lifestyles, not as Catholics of course and of course they aren’t condoned by the Professional Rabbinic system. Even so, they aren’t knowingly trying to decieve another religious group. Again, let me repeat, I know of no Two House teachers who are practicing Catholicism and then dressing up as rabbis. From the start, she uses a radically unfair comparison to move her readers in an emotional slant against legitimate and knowledgeable teachers within the Ephraimite-Two House Messianic Movement.

Also, let it be known from the start that the Two House reality is taught and condoned even within Judaism by such men as Rabbi Avraham Feld, Yair Davidiy, Dennis Jones, and the late David Horowitz (the name of Horowitz alone gives much credibility to Two House theology). To better understand that this isn’t a religion as much as it is an ideology embraced by or a reality perceived within major religions, I’ve included a long list of works by Christian, Messianic, and Jewish authors here.

But that is exactly what “Hebraic Roots” adherents (also known as “Israelites” or “Ephraimites,” among other names) do. These groups are led by self-taught individuals who use the title “rabbi” and/or “congregational leader,” as well as “synagogue” (complete with Hebrew names like Beth HaKavod) for their churches.

As I stated above, her comparison is certainly not “exact”. However, there are men who call themselves “Rabbi” within the Hebraic roots movement. I’ve questioned some of them in person and in writing, noting Yeshua’s condemnation of men calling other men “Rabbi” or “Great One”, which is what the word “Rabbi” means. The Hebrew word for “teacher” is “Moreh”, and Yeshua said nothing on record against such a title. But mere men are not to be called “Great One” (Matthew 23:8).

These gentiles in Jewish clothing actually claim to be the “true Israelites” n direct, biological descendants of the lost tribe of Ephraim. Of course there are no DNA or blood tests to confirm this unsubstantiated claim.

Hmmm… “true Israelites”? I’ve never heard any of these “gentiles in Jewish clothing” claim the Jews aren’t Israelites in the fashion she presumes. Many anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish groups do claim the Jews are fake, but NO prominent Two House teacher does this to my knowledge, BUT INSTEAD, they claim the Jews are largely from the Southern Israelite Kingdom of Judah, a very respectful designation which is usually levied also in a respectful way… unlike the Replacement Theologians and Holocaust-deniers who usually say the Jews are NOT a legitimate people at all.

And “unsubstantiated claims”? The Prophets of Israel claimed many promises which substantiate the Ephraimite identity claim to be a “multitude of peoples / nations”. However, Garber somehow conveniently never mentions a single scriptural reverence in this entire treatise of criticism. You’ll notice she prefers to quote modern rabbis.

And regarding her genetic evidence argument, even the Jews don’t fall nicely into a single genetic Haplogroup. Jewish men fall into largely Haplogroup J and E, but they, as well as the women, are found in many other genetic groups (see study). And why? How about a “mixed multitude” which left Egypt with the Israelites? Not to mention, three thousand years of religious conversions.

There is indeed work being done regarding Ephraimite genetic markers, but they too are a mixed people and it was prophesied they would be so, thus Ephraim is not going to fall nicely into some genetic proof as she again presumes they would, however ignorantly. See some Ephraimite genetic theories here. The prophet Ezekiel indicates that Ephraim and Judah would be mixed populations when he mentions the “Companions” of Israel and Judah in Ezekiel 37:16. (Isn’t it nice to have scripture references?)

Angus Wootten, one of the movement’s grandaddies, explains in his book Restoring Israel’s Kingdom how someone can find out if he or she is a biological member of the tribe of Ephraim: You simply “have a ‘conviction,’ a knowing that we know.”

While this David Koresh-sounding theology appears ridiculous to both Jews and the vast majority of Christians, the sobering fact is that their numbers are growing constantly. From their websites and links, it would appear there are about 30 Ephraim-style groups in Ohio alone, although it’s hard to get an exact count because they use so many names n Ephraimites, Hebraic Roots Christians, Lost Tribes, Northern Kingdom, Israelites, House of Israel, Messianic Christians, and House of Joseph.

HA… our numbers aren’t just growing. They are exploding!! Just as the Prophet Hosea foretold, the House of Joseph will become “a people” again… and to become a people, they must awaken to their identity in some fashion, no matter if it is by some internal “conviction”, spiritual awakening, or by reading through genetic evidence. It is going to happen and it is happening because the Almighty YHVH ordained it to happen. All the peoples of Joseph-Ephraim are going to awake. Some may not have Jewish or Ephraimite blood, but none-the-less, they will be considered companions of Ephraim or Judah in the End (Ezekiel 37:16).

And David Koresh? Come on. David Koresh thought he was the Messiah for goodness sake. How does that fit here? Wooten has never claimed such. Unbelievable.

Rabbi Melvin Granatstein of Green Road Synagogue says there are all kinds of ersatz groups like these. “Catholics have to follow certain scriptural interpretation, but Protestants can pick up a Bible and interpret on their own,” he explains. “Some (Protestants) are very respectable, but others just focus on the parts of scripture they like, and the Bible can have very diverse interpretations.”

Protestant Christians, I bet you love this argument. Somehow you just need to put away all your bibles because you’re too dumb or stupid to read and understand the scriptures for yourself. According to Garber and the rabbis, you need a Priest to tell you what the scriptures mean.

Saying you’re from a lost tribe has a certain “romantic appeal,” continues Granatstein. “The neat thing about claiming to be part of a lost tribe is, if it’s lost, who’s going to be able to prove me wrong?”

While Hebraic Rooters claim to “unite Jews and Christians” as their ultimate goal, in reality, they seem to hold both groups in disdain. Jews seem to think they are “Cokes” (the real thing), says Wootten in his book Restoring. He questions Jewish ancestral lines “(that have) been affected by conversions, adoptions and extramarital sex (fornication, adultery or rape).” He seems to have particular disdain for the Orthodox, labeling them, among other things, as mean-spirited rock-throwers. Christians fare no better under Wootten’s scathing pen: They are guilty of “Esau’s folly” n throwing away their birthright as the “biological heirs of the tribe of Ephraim.”

It would be nice if Garber would reference the page numbers of these citations. How many people are going to go out and read the entire book by Wooten in order to see the context of his statements? Probably very few and I would bet Garber is hoping for such.

Tired of being “second-class citizens,” these self-proclaimed “Ephraimites” demand that Jews “recognize” them as “Israelites” n and that would include rights to the Middle East real estate.

I haven’t seem Ephraimites demanding this. I’ve only seen those from Jew-dah trying to snuff out the two house reality. Most of the Ephraimite teachers are too busy teaching the overwhelming flood of Ephraimite newcomers.

In 1948, “… instead of naming this Jewish state ‘Judah’ … they named it Israel,” Wooten writes. “Now, in one fell swoop, the Jews grabbed the title back.” Wootten is appalled that these Jews had the chutzpah to name their country “Israel” n when those of his “tribe” knew it was partially theirs!

The modern nation of Israel says their first exile was the Babylonian Captivity, which was the captivity of the Kingdom of Judah. The Kingdom of Israel was taken captive more than a hundred years prior. Check out Israel Ministry of Foreign Affair’s history timeline here. Also, check out another official Israeli government “Jewish History” timeline here: Jewish Agency for Israel (Aliyah.org). Everyone say, “Hmmmmmmmmmm…”

Eddie Chumney, who was a computer specialist before going full-time into “the ministry” almost a decade ago, heads a “synagogue” in Stark County; his members, he claims, come from Tuscarawas, Carrol, Stark, Wayne, Summit and Cuyahoga counties. Chumney also founded “Hebraic Roots International,” which claims a database network of subscribers in all 50 states and in 55 foreign countries. He travels extensively, both nationally and internationally, at the invitation of gentile groups who want to hear about their “lost (but now found!) heritage.”

Come on Garber, where is the basis and substance for this attack? Why not attack the message with real evidence instead of attacking an individual’s credentials? The history of Israel and Judah is quite simple. You don’t need a PhD to talk about it in an intelligent and meaningful way.

Raised Protestant, Chumney says he was “awakened” to what the New Testament “really” teaches after studying Jewish texts and taking Torah classes from a Reform rabbi in Akron. Chumney accuses Jews of “blindness” for not acknowledging their “Northern Kingdom” relatives. He threatens that peace will only come to Israel when they do so. He also says that Christians are “drunkards like Ephraim,” who have been lied to over the millennia n mostly because of the Catholic Church n as to what Jesus really taught.

Chumney doesn’t “threaten”. I’ve heard him teach on this a number of times. When he talks about the “blindness of Israel” he is usually talking about the blindness that Scripture indicated would be present in part for a time (Romans 11:25).

The gospel according to Chumney is that Jesus came to “unite the two kingdoms” (i.e., Jews and “Israelites”) and teach the “Israelites” (gentile Christians) to observe Jewish law. Of course, this is contrary to halachah (Jewish law), which actually says gentiles are forbidden to observe Shabbat, a doctrine which Chumney asserts is false and put forth by “the rabbis.” It’s a title he occasionally uses himself. (See sidebar, p. 29.)

Nope. Not to “observe Jewish Law”, but “to observe the Torah of YHVH”. The Jewish Law belongs to the Jews, transmitted by the Rabbis into what was codified within the Talmud, etc sometime after the Roman Diaspora. Chumney teaches that Yeshua came to teach the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel the Written Torah of Moses. He also teaches that the Torah claims the native born Israelite and the stranger are to observe the SAME Torah… which is what the Torah actually claims in a number of places ITSELF (references here). And Yeshua claimed the rabbis shut-up or shut off the Kingdom of Heaven to men (Matthew 23:13), and by their claiming that only Jews can observe Shabbat, thus we have a perfect example of what Yeshua meant.

While Chumney alludes to both Jewish texts and the New Testament scriptures, mixing doctrines and beliefs from both, he chafes at the accusation that he has made up his own religion. He simply wants “the house of Judah” to recognize “the house of Joseph” (his house) and for the latter to recognize Jesus’s “true” mission “foreshadowed in the Torah when those who received the law at Mt. Sinai were the only ones who escaped Egypt because they had put the blood on their doorposts.”

Chumney asserts that “obviously, there’s not going to be paper documentation” for the Ephraimite/Northern Kingdom/Lost Tribe/ House of Joseph connection. The only “proof,” it seems, is that one adheres to Chumney’s instruction.

Eddie Chumney is well-known for teaching humbly, honorably, and meticulously from the scriptures. He is a scripture contextual maniac. His teachings aren’t altogether new nor are they difficult to conceive nor are they the primary source for Two House theology. As I stated from the beginning, there are Messianic, Christian, and Orthodox Jewish authors who support the Ephraimite Identity aspect of what Chumney teaches.

The Chumney/Wootten type of teaching is mushrooming. Rick Ross, an internationally-recognized cult expert, and a former Clevelander, calls it “a growing phenomenon in the United States.”

Ross “runs into these groups all the time,” but says the “Hebraic Roots” movement is really just an old teaching with a facelift. He points out that the Worldwide Church of God, founded by Herbert Armstrong in 1934, taught that Anglo-Saxons are direct descendants of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, and that church viewed that teaching as the key, unlocking a true understanding of biblical prophecy. At its peak, there were 65,000 Armstrongists, says Ross.

“These groups are very misleading and very disingenuous,” he cautions. “They have an affinity for Jewish holidays and symbols but have no Jewish background whatsoever,” says Ross. “It really becomes a shanda (shame), as my grandmother would say, when they start parading around with Torah scrolls and trotting out Jewish symbols.”

Actually, says Ross, there is a psychological component as to why certain types of people are attracted to these types of groups. “It gives them a sense of elite identity. In fact, there is a Yiddish phrase that sums it up perfectly: kol mamzer melech n Every bastard wants to be a king.”

So Jews are Kings or the truly elite? Hey, I’m not the one who forced Ross to make such a comparison. I realized Judah was promised the Sceptre of Kings, but… come on? Kings? So Ephraimites all think they are peasants and thus want to be elevated? Can we just talk about the two house reality in Ancient Israel and then discuss the possibility that there is a two house reality today? Why do we have to digress into these racial/ethnic-based falsehoods?

Will the real rabbi please stand up?

“Anyone can invent his own religion,” says Tovia Singer, founder and director of Outreach Judaism. “But the reason these movements are dangerous is that they don’t respect boundaries. They are not Jewish at all, and (its leaders and adherents) have no rabbinic background whatsoever; they are simply playing with Jewish beliefs and rituals.”

We aren’t starting a new religion and we aren’t teaching Rabbinic Judaism thus we don’t need professional Talmudists to teach us the Talmud.

Certainly one of the ways the Hebraic Rooters play with Judaism is with their cavalier use of the title “rabbi.” For example, in the advertisement for Eddie Chumney’s “2005 Midwest Feast of Tabernacles” event to be held in Ohio next month, three of the four speakers are listed as rabbis, although not one of them has any rabbinic training at all.

If, as the former computer specialist-turned-self-proclaimed-minister says, people will be coming from as far as Florida to attend the weeklong event, they will paying to attend something where the rabbis are not rabbis at all, and the Succot experience is certainly not going to be a very “Jewish” one.

If someone were to call him or herself an attorney or physician and attempt to practice as such, that individual would be thrown in jail, says Rabbi Singer. Using the title “rabbi” won’t get someone thrown in jail, but it is consumer fraud, he adds.

“The parameters of Jewish identity exclusively and historically lay within the Jewish community,” says cult expert Rick Ross. “Unless you recognize the parameters of a religion’s identity, you are going down a slippery slope and opening the doors to anything and everything, such as Catholics for Krishna, Mormons for Mohammed, Baptists for Buddha.”

That’s correct. It is about the only accurate statement I’ve seen Garber cite thus far: “The parameters of Jewish identity exclusively and historically lay within the Jewish community”. The kicker is: many Ephraimite teachers don’t claim to be “Jewish” (there are some who are legitimately born Jewish), although many newcomers in their initial zeal don’t realize what traditions are derived from “Jewish” custom and what practices are actually commanded in the Torah, and they strive to look “Jewish” in their ignorance. Some learn the difference and still want to look Jewish in the traditional sense. Regardless, what is truly wrong with that? Is it not generally complimentary when people try to look like you? In fact, many non-Jews have joined Jew-dah throughout her history (Ruth and Caleb are probably the most prominent). Judah has a long and active history of converting people from within diaspora host countries. Why is it such a big deal for Messianic - Ephraimite - Hebraic Roots - Two House movement-types to look Jewish? I’ll tell you what the problem is: they aren’t falling under the long standing system of controls within Judaism and that ruffles the feathers of Orthodoxy watchmen. This is the same problem Catholicism has with all the rogue Protesting-Protestants all over the world. They want, they demand centralized control, which isn’t always a bad thing. Just note the order that Moshe (Moses) put into place. The difference is, Moses gave the commands of the Creator of the Universe while Orthodox Judaism and Orthodox Catholicism issues the “commandments of men” on a routine and precedential basis. Here were Yeshua’s thoughts on the matter: Mark 7:6-7; Isaiah 29:13.

Remember, Ross (quoted above) is an Institutionalist (as you’d quickly discern from his website) and apparently believes most people are too ignorant to interpret the Scriptures without a strong hierarchical structure such as that found in Orthodox Judaism or Catholicism (being a cult expert, he likely leans in that direction to the extreme for obvious reasons). In his and Garber’s mind (implicated by what has issued forth from their lips), we the peasantry should leave “God” and “religion” to be judiciously delivered only by the “professionals”, “specialists”, and “experts”. The insane growth of Protestantism over the last few hundred years is fairly good evidence that we the commoners would prefer to stick a thumb in the eye of the Professional Religionist and their “Orthodox” institutions before swallowing every wind of doctrine they interpret for us. A great deal of war and blood shed has been waged by the free-minded in order to escape Religious tyranny.

The Two-House and Hebraic-Roots Movements aren’t “new religions” forming out of thin air, like what Garber and Ross would have you believe. They aren’t cult movements. They are the manifestation and culmination of ancient Hebrew prophecies… issued from within an ancient faith (not a religion), which trusts in the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The prophecy of the Northern Kingdom of Israel ceasing to be “a people”, then becoming “a people” again was clearly described by the Prophet Hosea. It only appears to be a new movement because we are in the Last Days when Israel was to become “a people” again. Like in the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, the older more faithful brother (Judah) is frustrated that his lost rebellious brother (Joseph/Ephraim) is finally coming to himself.