Why did the Ten Tribes Get Lost?
(Adapted from ch,17, Words Beginning with Q, "Hebrew English. The Israelite Language as part of English Speech and Thought Patterns," by Yair Davidiy, 2018).
Contents:
1. What was Supposed to Happen? Plan 1. Similar to the Coming Messianic Era.
2. What did Take Place?
3. The Role of Esau.
Who Was Esau? What Was the Role of Esau in this Whole Scenario?
4. What was the Back-Up Arrangement? Plan 2?
5. The End Game. Plan 3?
1. What was Supposed to Happen? Plan 1. Similar to the Coming Messianic Era.
The Israelites had come out of Egypt. The implied intention was that all the 12 Tribes should receive the Torah. After that they were to conquer Canaan and drive out the Canaanites. They would divide the Land. They would have a King and build a Temple. All nations of the Earth would come up to Jerusalem to learn. They should all receive instruction from Jerusalem. The Tribe of Levi (Priests-Cohens and Levites) would serve in the Temple and together with the Sages develop the Law. The Hebrews should evolve in every sense and elevate the rest of mankind along with them. This is the same, or almost the same, as what will take place in the coming Messianic Era.
2. What did Take Place?
It did not work out as it could have done and how we may suppose it was supposed to. There was the sin of the Golden Calf, then more offences. Then came the sin of the Spies bringing a bad report about the Land. Then they conquered the Land but did not drive out all the Canaanites but rather inter-mixed with them. First they had a King from the Tribe of Benjamin but he was not as up to mark as he should have been. Then they had a King who almost good enough and that was David. He was prevented from building the Temple. His son Solomon built it in his stead. Solomon took foreign wives who turned his heart away. In the time of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the Ten Tribes separated and set up their own Kingdom under Jeroboam son of Nebat from the Tribe of Ephraim. The Ten Tribes set up golden calves in Dan and in Beth-el to replace worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. A while later the northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria and all its inhabitants exiled. They were exiled because they had intermixed with pagan peoples and learnt their ways (see 2-Kings ch.17). The Ten Tribes lost awareness of their Hebrew ancestry yet stayed together in their areas of Exile. After that Judah also was exiled to Babylon. This began the Jewish Diaspora though a portion returned to Judea. The returnees founded the Great Assembly of 120 Sages including some who were Prphets among them. The 120 were reduced to 70 members of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Judaism as we now know it came into existence. The Second Temple was built.
The Second Temple was eventually destroyed by the Romans. Judah was exiled yet again and scattered in many directions. Despite everything Judah more or less kept the faith and developed it.
3. The Role of Esau.
Who Was Esau? What Was the Role of Esau in this Whole Scenario?
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers, sons of Isaac and Rebecca (Genesis 25:23). Jacob was later re-named Israel. He was the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Isaac before his death intended to bless Esau instead of Jacob. Isaac considered Esau to be the fore-ordained military ruler of the world and a civilizing influence over mankind. Jacob represented more the religious aspect that humanity also needed. Even so, Isaac thought the pre-eminence should be allotted to Esau. Divine Judgement as revealed to Rebecca was that BOTH aspects of the promise needed to go to Jacob. Rebecca, the mother of Jacob and Esau, directed Jacob to receive the Blessing of their father by subterfuge. Rebecca had understood that Esau was not suited for the task nor was he destined for it (Genesis 25:23). Jacob needed to receive the blessing from his father Isaac by pretending to be his brother, Esau. Isaac after being deceived realized that Jacob was meant to receive BOTH portions (Genesis 27: 33, 28:3-4).
Nevertheless Esau was also promised military might, fertile land, and a role of his own (Genesis 27:39-40). Esau was destined to become the antagonist of Jacob (Genesis 27:41).
In the future part of Esau will be wiped out by Joseph (Obadiah 1:18). They who remain will repent and will assist Jacob in his task. Before that happens Esau will strives to be dominant in this world. Descendants of Esau are to be found among many peoples especially Germany, Japan, Russia, and others including entities otherwise dominated by Lost Israelites. Joseph has in effect played the role of Jacob in dressing himself like Esau. Joseph is fulfilling that aspect of the Promise that Isaac initially thought to give to Esau.
4. What was the Back-Up Arrangement? Plan 2?
The difference between what was supposed to happen as First Preference and what took place had a reason. The word had not been ready for Plan 1. Neither were the Israelites prepared for it. The Nation of Israel had needed to be divided. The Ten Tribes were to go down to the level of the Heathen and then evolve upwards dragging the non-Israelites forward with them. The strong point of the Ten Tribes had always been a tendency to stress social justice rather than Torah learning. This is what Britain and its offshoots, the USA and parts of the Western European coastal areas were supposed to do, each in its own way. They should have taught civilized values and social justice to others and enlightened the Gentiles. They have indeed, in many cases and in different ways, done this to some degree. They still are doing it.
Meanwhile, Judah was to be relieved of the burden of an Independent State of his own but was to develop the Torah Law. This too, is what happened.
5. The End Game. Plan 3?
What exactly will happen no-one knows. The Prophets spoke of it but they were not always that clear. Sages and inspired Commentaries on the Bible also speak of it. There is much information but the sequence is hazy. Judah will return to the Land, rehabilitate it and prepare the infrastructure for all the others. Perhaps this is what Judah is doing now through the State of Israel? At some stage the Ten Tribes will return and re-unite with Judah. They will need to know who they are before then. It seems that towards the End Times there will arise two anointed leaders, i.e. Messiahs. These Messiahs will be embodied by actual real personages. Apart from that they also give expression to ongoing historical processes that will begin before them. Many feel that the present age is that of the Messiah son of Joseph. The assistance that first Britain, then the USA, gave and is giving to the Jews to rebuild the Land relects an aspect of the Messiah son of Joseph and preages His Coming.
The Messiah son of Joseph will arise from Ephraim. He will lead the Ten Tribes. He will also help Judah rebuild the Land of Israel and expel the Palestinians (Isaiah 11:14). The Temple will be rebuilt. The Land of Israel will be divided among the Tribes. Areas outside the Land of Israel that the Ten Tribes will have inhabited will be made part of the Land of Israel. Miracles will take place. The gift of Prophecy will return. Either before, during, or after these events, a Messiah son of David will come. He will cause the Jews to repent and to purify themselves before the Almighty. Wars will be fought. Tribulations will take place. Eventually the Messiah son of David will rule over all Israel and after that over all mankind. This is a rough outline according to some of the sources. Some of the details and the sequence of these happenings may be different than the above outline. Meanwhile we all should do the best we can with what we have.