10-tribe kingdom Re-United With 2-Tribe Kingdom -- When?

[Patrick]

10-TRIBE KINGDOM RE-UNITED WITH 2-TRIBE KINGDOM UNDER KING DAVID -- WHEN?

During Solomon's later years, his wives lead his heart to chase after other gods and his heart went away from Jehovah the God of Israel. (1Ki 11:4, 11:9) Because of Solomon's unfaithfulness, Jehovah made the powerful decision to rip 10-tribes of the kingdom out of his son's hand, leaving him only a 2-Tribe Kingdom to rule over. (1Ki 11:11) The prophet states, the tearing away of the 10-Tribe kingdom of God from the heirs of Solomon, would bring humiliation to the house of David but not forever. As 1 Kings 11:39 reads, "And I shall humiliate the offspring of David on account of this, only not always."

As a young man, Jeroboam was a valiant man and this hard worker caught Solomon's attention. Solomon put him in charge of the labor workers in the house of Joseph. (1Ki 11:28) Sometime afterwards, Ahijah the prophet of God visited Jeroboam with a surprise message. Ahijah grabbed hold of his new garment and ripped it into twelve pieces and told Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for this is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, 'Here I am ripping the kingdom out of the hand of Sol´o•mon, and I shall certainly give you ten tribes."--1Ki 11:31

The Northern 10-Tribe Kingdom, under Jeroboam's reign, was supposed to be greatly blessed and was to greatly prosper, provided the new king remained faithful to Jehovah. However, this did not prove to be the case at all. Instead, upon King Jeroboam seeing his people going to Jerusalem to worship, Jeroboam wickedly had two golden calves made and set them up in sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan. In so doing, Jeroboam introduced calf worship, detestable idolatry, to the nation of Israel, and thus alienated himself from Jehovah God. Yes, by introducing rank idolatry in the 10-Tribe Kingdom, King Jeroboam led the 10-Tribe Kingdom off into apostasy against God!

But how did this great division occur, namely the division between the Southern 2-Tribe Kingdom and the larger Northern 10-Tribe Kingdom of God's Name People, ancient Israel?

Well, upon Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam--forty one years of age-ascended to the throne. However, many from the nation of Israel, was greatly dissatisfied with the burdens upon which Solomon placed upon them and asked for their burdens to be reduced. In return for this request, the tribes of Israel would agree to serve King Rehoboam--Solomon's son.--1Ki 12:4

The older counselors urged Rehoboam to show compassion upon the people and reduce these harsh burdens. However, the counsel of the younger men in the company of the king, advised him to deal with the people even more harshly than Solomon. Thus, the King foolishly ignored the counsel of the older men. He said, "My father, for his part, made YOUR yoke heavy, but I, for my part, shall add to YOUR yoke. My father, for his part, chastised YOU with whips, but I, for my part, shall chastise YOU with scourges." (1Ki 12:14) Thereafter, the ten northern tribes of Israel revolted.--1K 12:16

Therefore, a once United 12-Tribe Kingdom of Israel is now divided with both Kingdoms gradually beginning tor drift into turmoil and apostasy against Jehovah. In time, Israel--the ten northern tribes--with the larger share of land area to guard, fell first as a nation, and was eventually deported to Assyria. (2Ki 17:1-6) Later, Judah, the surviving 2-Tribe Kingdom, was deported to Babylon.- -2Ki 25:8-10, 25:21

A Prophecy Speaks of Re-unification of the 12 Tribes -- 2 "Sticks" of Israel Reunite

The book of Ezekiel contains a prophecy picturing two sticks that become one. It is a future prophecy referring to the 10 tribe Kingdom being re-united with King David. Ezekiel 37:15-20 reads, "15 And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: 16 "And as for you, O son of man, take for yourself a stick and write upon it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel his partners.' And take another stick and write upon it, 'For Joseph, the stick of E´phra•im, and all the house of Israel his partners.' 17 And cause them to approach each other into one stick for yourself, and they will actually become just one in your hand. 18 And when the sons of your people begin to say to you, 'Will you not tell us what these things mean to you?' 19 speak to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Here I am taking the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of E´phra•im, and the tribes of Israel his partners, and I will put them upon it, that is, the stick of Judah, and I shall actually make them one stick, and they must become one in my hand."' 20 And the sticks upon which you write must prove to be in your hand before their eyes."

In addition, the book of Isaiah, Hosea and Ezekiel contains additional prophecies that tell of a future time when the 10 tribe Kingdom of Israel shall be re-united with King David and the 2-Tribe Kingdom. For instance,

One such prophecy is found in the book of Isaiah where it states,

Isaiah 11:13, "And the jealousy of E´phra•im must depart, and even those showing hostility to Judah will be cut off. E´phra•im itself will not be jealous of Judah, nor will Judah show hostility toward E´phra•im."
Also this prophecy,

Hosea 1:11, "11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will certainly be collected together into a unity and will actually set up for themselves one head and go up out of the land, because great will be the day of Jez´re•el."

Then too this prophecy,

Ezekiel 37:22, "And I shall actually make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king is what all of them will come to have as king, and they will no longer continue to be two nations, nor will they be divided any longer into two kingdoms."

Commenting on these prophecies, an article taken from the "Questions from readers" section in the 1985 Watchtower magazine speaks of all 12 tribes of Israel being re-united after their return from Babylonian captivity in 537 B.C.E. The article says that the "ripping away of the ten tribes in 740 B.C.E." did not result in the loss of their identity." The article goes on by saying that the 10 tribes were re-accounted for in the return in 537 B.C.E. that lead to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.

*** w85 5/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***
"Interestingly, Ezekiel, in the book bearing his name, mentioned "the house of Israel" far more often than he referred to "the house of Judah," despite his being a prophet to Judah while in captivity in Babylon. Moreover, his prophecy indicated that the two 'houses' would be reunited as one. (Ezekiel 37:19-28; see also Jeremiah 3:18; Hosea 1:11.) With good reason, then, no distinction is made between the two after the Babylonian captivity.

Hence, the ripping away of the ten tribes in 740 B.C.E. did not result in the loss of their identity. They were accounted for in the return from captivity in 537 B.C.E. And regarding the inauguration of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, the priest Ezra stated: "The sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the former exiles held the inauguration of this house of God with joy. And they presented . . . as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel." (Ezra 6:16, 17) Also indicating that the returning remnant included representatives of all tribes of Israel, not merely Judah and Benjamin, Isaiah wrote: "For although your people, O Israel, would prove to be like the grains of sand of the sea, a mere remnant among them will return." (Isaiah 10:22) Hence, among the returnees were representatives of all the tribes of Israel."

A 1956 Watchtower Magazine article also talks about a re-uniting of the 10 tribes of Israel with King David after their release from Babylon. The last sentence in the first paragraph says that the "exiles considered themselves as one, as representatives of all the twelve tribes." The beginning of the second paragraph mentions that the unity of the two kingdoms was a fulfillment at that time.

*** w56 8/15 p. 487 Were the Ten Tribes Lost? ***

"That the return from Babylon was understood to be a representative return of all the twelve tribes is apparent from a number of facts. For example, we find far more references to Israel than to Judah in the postexilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah. We should not find any references to Israel if the Anglo-Israelite theory were correct. Then again, we repeatedly find the _expression "all Israel" applied to the returned exiles, in just the same style that Nehemiah speaks of King Solomon's being made king over "all Israel." (Ezra 2:70; Neh. 13:26) And that the returned exiles considered themselves as one, as representatives of all the twelve tribes, is further seen by their presentation at the temple's inauguration "as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel."--Ezra 6:17, NW.

The Watchtower Society continues to assert, in a 1985 Watchtower question from readers article, that the ripping away of the 10 tribes in 740 B.C.E. did not actually result in loss of their identity. Furthermore, the 10 tribes were accounted for in the return form captivity in 537 B.C.E along with the inauguration of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. And a 1956 Watchtower article explains that the returned exiles from Babylon considered themselves as one--meaning all twelve tribes. The article even states that there was an actual re-unity of the two kingdoms after their return from captivity.

However, if the 10 tribes did not lose their identity when they were ripped away in 740 B.C.E. and thereafter there was an actual re-unity of Israel to King David just after their release from ancient Babylon, then why did the re-unity of the 12 tribes not last forever, just as the prophecies promised?

Then too, there is this thought: if the re-uniting of the 12 tribes was fulfilled when the nation came back to the homeland, after leaving Babylon, then why is it the book of Zechariah speaks boldly of about a future division between Judah and Israel that was to occur at at later time. Zechariah 11:14, "Then I cut in pieces my second staff, the Union, in order to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel."

As we all know, the book of Zechariah was written after God's people returned from their Babylonian captivity. Therefore the prophecy of future division between Judah and Israel mentioned in Zechariah cannot have anything to do with ancient Babylon since the prophecy was written after God's people returned back to their homeland from ancient Babylon. Isn't that so?

Then too, there the prophecy of Jeremiah 3:18-19 to consider. Yes, this is a prophecy that tells about a future time when God's people will not turn away from Jehovah God. It reads, 18 "In those days they will walk, the house of Judah alongside the house of Israel, and together they will come out of the land of the north into the land that I gave as a hereditary possession to YOUR forefathers. 19 And I myself have said, 'O how I proceeded to place you among the sons and to give you the desirable land, the hereditary possession of the ornament of the armies of the nations!' And I further said, '"My Father!" YOU people will call out to me, and from following me YOU people will not turn back.'

Surely, we cannot say Jeremiah 3:18-19 was truly fulfilled when the nation of Israel returned from captivity in ancient Babylon, could we? No, we know this prophecy simply was not fulfilled at their return from Babylon, and was not fulfilled even in Jesus' day -- right down to even in our age. The prophecy plainly says that Israel would not turn away from Jehovah God, after this final Re-unification of the nation of Israel.

However, the Bible makes clear, the nation of Israel did turn away from Jehovah even after they returned back home from there experience of captivity with ancient Babylon. And even during Jesus' day, ancient Israel turned away from Jehovah, as there was sinning and lawlessness, much disease and sickness was widespread, when Jesus came for the all-important inspection of Israel. (Matthew 8:30, 8:14-17, 21:12; Luke 19:44) Their wayward course of sinning increased until the nation committed the great sin of wickedly putting God's righteous Son Jesus, to death. -- Matthew 27:22

Therefore, since we know the prophecy of Jeremiah 3:18-19 has not been fulfilled, their must yet be a future fulfillment for our day and time. Indeed, God's people must be liberated from a modern-day Babylon the Great and not one of the past in order to have a real fulfillment of Jeremiah 3:18-19.

(For additional information on this topic, please see article entitled: Babylon The Great -- Wonderous Mystery of Our Times.)

The book of Ezekiel speaks of a modern-day David that will liberate God's people-Israel.

Ezekiel 37:21-28, "And speak to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Here I am taking the sons of Israel from among the nations to which they have gone, and I will collect them together from round about and bring them onto their soil. 22 And I shall actually make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king is what all of them will come to have as king, and they will no longer continue to be two nations, nor will they be divided any longer into two kingdoms. 23 And they will no longer defile themselves with their dungy idols and with their disgusting things and with all their transgressions; and I shall certainly save them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them, and they must become my people, and I myself shall become their God. 24 "'"And my servant David will be king over them, and one shepherd is what they will all come to have; and in my judicial decisions they will walk, and my statutes they will keep, and they will certainly carry them out. 25 And they will actually dwell upon the land that I gave to my servant, to Jacob, in which YOUR forefathers dwelt, and they will actually dwell upon it, they and their sons and their sons' sons to time indefinite, and David my servant will be their chieftain to time indefinite. 26 "'"And I will conclude with them a covenant of peace; an indefinitely lasting covenant is what there will come to be with them. And I will place them and multiply them and place my sanctuary in the midst of them to time indefinite. 27 And my tabernacle will actually prove to be over them, and I shall certainly become their God, and they themselves will become my people. 28 And the nations will have to know that I, Jehovah, am sanctifying Israel when my sanctuary comes to be in the midst of them to time indefinite."'". . .

Also, this prophecy states,

Ezekiel 34:21-24," 21 for the reason that with flank and with shoulder YOU kept pushing and with YOUR horns YOU kept shoving all the sickened ones until YOU had scattered them to the outside. 22 And I will save my sheep, and they will no longer become something for plunder; and I will judge between a sheep and a sheep. 23 And I will raise up over them one shepherd, and he must feed them, even my servant David. He himself will feed them, and he himself will become their shepherd. 24 And I myself, Jehovah, will become their God, and my servant David a chieftain in the midst of them. I myself, Jehovah, have spoken.

So, the prophecy in Ezekiel that pictures two sticks becoming one--meaning the 10-tribe kingdom which finally unites under King David, is actually yet for a future time in our modern-day age. "One shepherd," as the prophecy states, yes one modern-day servant, "David a chieftain", will soon liberate God's modern-day people, mystery Israel, Jehovah's Witnesses from Babylon the Great of our times. In fact, the foretold "unity" will be so great, it will be as Micah 2:12, 13 says,

"I shall positively gather Jacob, all of you; I shall without fail collect the remaining ones of Israel together. IN UNITY I shall set them, like a flock in the pen, like a drove in the midst of its pasture; they will be noisy with men. The one making a breakthrough will certainly come up before them: they will actually break through. And they will pass through a gate, and they will go out by it. And their king will pass through before them, with Jehovah at the head of them."

Yes, there can be no question but that, Jehovah will be the one most responsible for the newfound "unity" enjoyed by God's Name People of our time. And of course, Israel's new "king," the Modern Day "Servant" will prove to be the "one making a breakthrough" that goes before them, the "Male Child" Kingdom Seed of God. (Rev. 12:5) Yes, this one that is "breaking through" the tyrannical "walls" and "gates" of wicked Babylon the Great of our time, with Jehovah God at the "Head." -- Revelation 18:4

Thus, at that time, the Modern Day spiritual 10-tribe kingdom of X-Jehovah's witnesses, will become fully united with the newly established spiritual 2-Tribe Kingdom of the "Male Child," yes Jehovah's witnesses who quickly "flee" apostate Jerusalem and join the YORWW Congregation immediately after leaving the JW Organization, and finally under Modern Day King "David" of our times, experience a genuine unity of purpose never before enjoyed by God's Name People -- a complete "unity" wherein they WILL NOT turn away from Jehovah God ever again in apostasy. Praise Jah! -- See Jeremiah 3:19.

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Review Questions For The Article: "10-Tribe Kingdom Re-United"

1. When Jehovah ripped ten of the twelve tribes of Israel away from the Davidic kings, what promise did He make as recorded at 1 Kings 11:39?

2. What idolatrous practice did Jeroboam introduce in the ten-tribe kingdom that led to their falling into apostasy?

3. What incident served to bring about the division of the kingdom of Israel as recorded at 1 Kings 12?

4. In the book of Ezekiel chapter 37 verses 15-20, what promise did Jehovah make with reference to the "stick of Judah" and the "stick of Joseph?" List other scriptures that also make reference to this promise.

5. What does an article in the 5/15, 1985 Watchtower say regarding when the above mentioned prophecy was fulfilled?

6. Why is the prophecy recorded at Zechariah 11:14 significant and does this prophecy apply to the ancient kingdom of Israel?

7. The prophecy recorded at Jeremiah 3:18, 19 was not fulfilled on ancient Israel therefore it has a future fulfillment. What does verse 19 say that helps you to understand this fact?

8. When Jesus came to inspect Israel, what conditions did he find among the Jews that were an indication that they had ‘turned away from Jehovah?’

9. When modern-day Israel and Judah re-unite, it will be under their leader, David, as the prophecies we have discussed indicates. Who is this ‘David’ and what will he accomplish for them according to Micah 2:12, 13?

10. Who today represents the two-tribe and the ten-tribe kingdoms? How will they be reunited?



To get the answers for the review questions CLICK HERE.


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