The Jews Consoled in the End Times. The Ten Tribes Return (16 August 2017, 24 Av, 5777)
Duration: 24.59 minutes
Isaiah chapter 49 begins by addressing both the Ten Tribes and Judah. The emphasis however at first is on the Ten Tribes and after that it goes over (49:13 onwards) to Judah.
The Isles are called upon to listen to God (49:1). Israel is the servant of God (49:3). Israel will raise up the Tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel, to be an enlightening influence on the Gentiles unto the geographical extremities of the earth (49:6). In an aside Isaiah refers to the Jews of Judah who were despised in their places of exile. God calls to the Jews who were despised and says HE will save them (49:7). In the last days princes will give the Jews honor and bow down to them because, no matter what they may have done or failed to do, they remained essentially faithful to the God of Israel.
Isaiah says (49:8) that the exiled of Israel will be preserved and become a covenant of people (in Hebrew a "Brit-Am"), who will establish the world and civilize wasted heritages. They will use released prisoners to colonize these heritages (49:9), as the British did at first in North America and Australia. They shall return from the north and from the west, and from the Land of Sinim. The Land of Sinim is rendered as Australia though it also refers to New Zealand. They will converge together along their paths of migration (49:9).
Isaiah (49:13) again turns to Judah who feels forgotten (49:14). God will return and comfort Judah and recompense him for all the troubles that passed over them and greatly increase his population (49:18-20). When Judah sees the Israelites returning (49:21) he will ask, Where did these come from? I was alone and persecuted, and driven from country to country.
Isaiah returns to speak of the comforting of Judah and says that those who oppressed the Jews had in effect denied the existence of the LORD GOD of Israel (49:26).
THE JEWS CONSOLED
ISAIAH now turns his attention again directly towards the Jews from the Tribe of Judah.
Isaiah 49:
13 SING FOR JOY, O HEAVENS, AND EXULT, O EARTH; BREAK FORTH, O MOUNTAINS, INTO SINGING! FOR THE LORD HAS COMFORTED HIS PEOPLE, AND WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON HIS AFFLICTED.
God will have compassion on those of his people who were afflicted. He will comfort Judah.
Isaiah 49:
14 BUT ZION SAID, "THE LORD HAS FORSAKEN ME, MY LORD HAS FORGOTTEN ME."
Zion stands for Judah and the Jews and for Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the capital of all Israel at first and later of the remnant of Judah. Zion and Jerusalem in Scripture are usually synonymous with Judah.
Isaiah 49:
15 CAN A WOMAN FORGET HER SUCKING CHILD, THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE NO COMPASSION ON THE SON OF HER WOMB? EVEN THESE MAY FORGET, YET I WILL NOT FORGET YOU.
Due to persecutions and oppression the Jews often could have felt as if they had been abandoned. God says it is not so.
Isaiah 49:
16 BEHOLD, I HAVE ENGRAVEN YOU ON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS; YOUR WALLS ARE CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME.
Assisting the Jews and assisting the Zionist aims of rebuilding the Land of Israel embodies the will of God.
Jewish Traitors to their Own People Predicted!
Isaiah 49:
17 YOUR BUILDERS OUTSTRIP YOUR DESTROYERS, AND THOSE WHO LAID YOU WASTE GO FORTH FROM YOU.
The KJ has translated Isaiah 49:17 above according to the simple meaning that the oppressors and destroyers of Judah will depart. Actually, the Hebrew original can also be understood to say that the destroyers of Judah came out from them themselves and so the verse is often traditionally understood and quoted. Instead of THOSE WHO LAID YOU WASTE GO FORTH FROM YOU it can be translated to say 'THOSE WHO LAID YOU WASTE CAME FORTH FROM YOU.' The enemies of the Jewish people have often found friends and allies amongst the Jews themselves. Every nation has its traitors only the Jews historically were always more vulnerable to treacherous influences since they lacked their own kingdom. Also their real self-interest was often not sufficiently clear-cut even to themselves and wherever they turned enemies surrounded them. Negative influences from outside were much greater.
Even so vengeance will be taken against those who oppressed the Jews and many peoples who had wronged them will be ashamed of themselves.
The Return of Judah
The exiles of Judah and descendants of Jewish captives shall return to Judah.
Isaiah 49:
18 LIFT UP YOUR EYES ROUND ABOUT AND SEE; THEY ALL GATHER, THEY COME TO YOU. AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, YOU SHALL PUT THEM ALL ON AS AN ORNAMENT, YOU SHALL BIND THEM ON AS A BRIDE DOES.
19 "SURELY YOUR WASTE AND YOUR DESOLATE PLACES AND YOUR DEVASTATED LAND-- SURELY NOW YOU WILL BE TOO NARROW FOR YOUR INHABITANTS, AND THOSE WHO SWALLOWED YOU UP WILL BE FAR AWAY.
20 THE CHILDREN BORN IN THE TIME OF YOUR BEREAVEMENT WILL YET SAY IN YOUR EARS: THE PLACE IS TOO NARROW FOR ME; MAKE ROOM FOR ME TO DWELL IN.
ISAIAH AND THE RETURN OF THE LOST TEN TRIBES
The Lost Ten Tribes will also return. The Jews of Judah will meet the return of the Lost Ten Tribes with mixed reactions:
Iisaiah (49:21) describes how the Jewish people upon seeing masses of Lost Israelites returning to the Holy Land will have a serious question:
Isaiah 49:
21 Then you will say in your heart, Who has begotten these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And am barren, an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was left alone; From where did these come?
In other words, the Jews will ask where were all those now identified as Israel when the Jews needed help and were alone?
On the one hand those few people among the Gentiles who have helped the Jews have more often than not belonged to the Lost Ten Tribes. On the other hand these nations were powerful and rich ones and they could have done much more to help than they did. There were times even when the Lost Ten Tribes had acted as the adversaries of Judah.
A reflection on this future conundrum is provided by a passage in the Zohar.
"The Zohar" is a collection of writings mainly purporting to transcribe the ethical and mystical teachings of certain Talmudic Sages of the 100s CE. Some modern scholars now claim it was written in Spain in the 1270s CE when it was first revealed. This claim appears to be mistaken. Some re-writing however of much older material may have taken place. Previously "The Zohar" was thought by savants to be the culmination over many decades, even centuries, of a continuous editing process of mystical works. The present general orthodox view is that it was written close to the events it purports to describe, i.e. around the 100s CE. The Zohar certainly does reflect ancient traditions and insights of a primordial nature.
Most Orthodox Jews who study "The Zohar" consider it to be inspired. It contains observations of value for the understanding of Scripture and also concerning the LOST TEN TRIBES. The Zohar (Breishit, VaYechi, 88m, Sulam edition) comments on the expression 'Who has begotten these for me' in the verse we are here concerned with (Isaiah 49:21). The Zohar notes an emphasis in the question on the Hebrew word "EYLEH" i.e. "these"':
The verse says:
Isaiah 49:
21 Then you will say in your heart, Who has begotten these for me, Since I have been bereaved of my children And am barren, an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was left alone; From where did these come?
According to the Midrash (Pesikta Rabati 32;10) this reaction of the Jews will indeed take place WHEN THEY SEE THE THREE EXILES OF THE LOST TEN TRIBES RETURNING! (49:21).
The Zohar emphasizes the emphasis on the word 'these': "Who has begotten these", who has reared these? where did these come?
The Zohar then refers back to the time when the Patriarch Israel was about to die and his son Joseph had brought his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to him to receive a final blessing.
Before continuing with what the Zohar says see what the Midrash ALSO observes on this matter:
"WHEN ISRAEL SAW JOSEPH'S SONS, HE SAID, WHO ARE THESE?" (Genesis 48:8).
[Said Rabbi Yehudah bar Shalom, "And why did he did he not recognize them?" Had he not been familiar with them?... "And now he asks, Who are these?"..."But rather he must have foreseen [through Divine Inspiration] Jeroboam son of Nebat and Ahab son of Omri [both future kings of the northern separated Ten-Tribes of Israel] who would arise from Ephraim and worship idolatry" Midrash Tanchuma, VaYichi,6.]
The Zohar relates:
"Rabbi Abba began to explain [the above question of the Patriarch Israel, "Who are these?"] by relating it to [the verse in Isaiah 49:21] "then will you say in thy heart: `Who has begotten these for me?': What does this verse imply? -That the Heavenly Patriarch Israel foresaw the Children of Israel assembling before him in the future:
Isaiah 11:
11 In that day the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left FROM ASSYRIA, AND FROM MITSRAYIM, AND FROM PATHROS, AND FROM CUSH, AND FROM ELAM, AND FROM HAMATH, AND FROM THE ISLES OF THE SEA.
The above place names are those to where the Lost Ten Tribes were taken or went shortly after their Exile. Isaiah continues to speak of the ingathering of the Lost Tribes as well as that of Judah and of reconciliation between the Lost Tribes and Judah:
Isaiah 11:
12 HE WILL RAISE AN ENSIGN FOR THE NATIONS, AND WILL ASSEMBLE THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL, AND GATHER THE DISPERSED OF JUDAH FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH.
13 THE JEALOUSY OF EPHRAIM SHALL DEPART, AND THOSE WHO HARASS JUDAH SHALL BE CUT OFF; EPHRAIM SHALL NOT BE JEALOUS OF JUDAH, AND JUDAH SHALL NOT HARASS EPHRAIM.
The question concerning these therefore refers to the Lost Ten Tribes (Ephraim) in the End Times. Fiction between Judah and Ephraim will cease but until then it will have existed.
The Zohar goes on to explain Isaiah 49:21, the question:
`WHO HAS BEGOTTEN THESE FOR ME?'
And they shall assemble together and be mutitudinous; the Divine Presence [i.e. Heavenly Israel] will wonder and ask, `Where did you all come from? `And is it not possible that there exists amongst you someone blemished, of foreign seed?'
"They will answer, `We are all your sons. There is no foreigner amongst us'.
"And they will divide off from each other. The foreign non-Israelite element will voluntarily separate from them, and they [i.e. the returning Israelites] will become circumcised, and convert, and these converts will return with [and to] Israel, and they shall be one."
In other words the Zohar says that the returning Israelites will be renew the Covenant and be re-united with 'Israel' meaning (in terms of the Zohar) with the Jewish people. In Biblical terms 'Israel' can mean all of the 12 tribes together or it can mean the 'Lost Tribes' (Israel) as distinct from Judah or (as in most of the Book of Ezekiel) it can stand for the Jews and Judah alone. In religious terms 'Israel' can mean those of Israel who did not lose their identity meaning Judah. In this case members of the Lost Ten Tribes will be rejoined to the spiritual reality of Israel represented by the Jews of Judah.
The Zohar states above that the non-Israelites will have to be separated out from the real returning descendants of Israelites. The non-Israelites referred to in this case are of a specific type that never really wanted to belong to Israel anyway. They belong to the "mixed multitude". The real and proper attitude that will hold towards the non-Israelite stranger (who previously of his own volition had joined himself to Israel) will be to accept him as a full-fledged citizen as stated in the Book of Ezekiel:
Ezekiel (ch.47) spoke of the future apportionment of the Promised Land amongst the Twelve Tribes of Israel in the Messianic Era. The area spoken of includes modern day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel, and additional parts of neighboring lands. This final re-division of the Land takes place after certain physical geographical and climatic changes occur. Ezekiel also speaks of apportioning The Land to "the strangers [i.e. non-Israelites] that sojourn amongst you": The strangers who identify with you will be counted as the same as you.
Ezekiel 47:
21 So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the aliens who stay in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And in the tribe with which the alien stays, there you shall give him his inheritance, declares the LORD GOD.
THE RECOMPENSMENT OF JUDAH
The rest of Isaiah chapter 49 speaks of how God will restore the Jewish people, and vastly multiply their numbers. They shall be honored by rulers of the world, and see their oppressors punished.
Isaiah 49:
22 Thus says the LORD GOD, Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And set up My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. 23 Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am the Lord; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame. 24 Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? 25 Surely, thus says the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons. 26 I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Those who oppressed the Jews had in effect denied the existence of the LORD GOD of Israel (v.49:26).