Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel writes about the Messiah son of Joseph
.Contents:
1. Introduction. Messiah son of Joseph ("MBJ").
2. "The Messiah son of Joseph" by Manasseh ben Israel, "Hope of Israel" (ca. 1650).
3. Biblical Source: The Prophet Obadiah and the Two Saviors.
1. Introduction. Messiah son of Joseph ("MBJ").
When the Ten Tribes will return they will be led by the Messiah son of Joseph (MBJ). MBJ leads the Ten Tribes. Both MBJ and the Tribe (Joseph i.e. Ephraim and Manasseh) he comes from have aspects of Joseph the Patriarch.
In later Jewish Philosophy the Messiah son of Joseph is considered as a separate entity. MBJ is often discussed without relationship to the Ten Tribes. The separate existence and present-day whereabouts of the Ten Tribes is ignored. Some evidently assume they have been irrevocably lost or at some stage they returned and became assimilated among the Jews. There seem to be no substantiated sources for this: It is more often implied rather than expressly stated.
Other Jewish sources consider the MBJ to possibly be a real person but more importantly symbolize an historical process in which MBJ represents material advancement, political establishment and recognition, the infrastructure for a regular national entity in the Land of Israel.
MBJ (according to Rabbi Kook) also represents the assimilated Jew or Israelite who becomes assimilated among the Gentiles and then helps reform the world from inside the powers-that-be. This parallels Joseph who became a slave, then an Egyptian official and reformed Egypt, and consequently helped save his Hebrew father and brothers.
Brit-Am puts all the different approaches together and in this way finds them compatible with Scripture.
"MBJ" is to be a real person who will appear towards the End Times and lead the Ten Tribes. He will save them from their enemies and initiate a reunification with Judah.
Afterwards the Messiah son of David (MBD) will appear and complete the process. MBJ also represents aspects of Joseph in general. The Tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) are now mainly found among the
English-speaking peoples. They fought two world wars against Edom (Germany and European powers, and to some degree Japan). They helped the Jews return to the Holy Land and found the State of Israel. They still (through the USA) greatly assist the State of Israel. They are (on the whole, compared to others) the only consistent friends the Jewish People has to the extent that it has friends.
They also help promote the cause of civilization throughout the world and uplift humanity.
These are the tasks of the Ten Tribes, especially of Joseph, and this is what they have been doing.
Biblical and historical evidences confirms their descent from Joseph and his brothers.
The article below is also of value. It is an extract from the "Hope of Israel" by Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel of whom we have written elsewhere.
See: "Hebrew America -1. Manasseh ben Israel and the Ten Tribes"
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/america/america.html
The article below is important. Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel identifies the MBJ with the future Commanding Prince of the Ten Tribes in the End Times. He also repeats the idea that the MBJ shall be killed and then resurrected. More recent Rabbinical Thinkers have opined that if we merit this will not be necessary. As with all Prophecy we will not really know how it happens until it does.
2. "The Messiah son of Joseph" by Manasseh ben Israel, 'Hope of Israel' (ca. 1650).
The Messiah son of Joseph.
Extract (slightly adapted) from:
Manasseh ben Israel, 'Hope of Israel' (ca. 1650),
SECT. 26.
But which way that redemption shall be no-one can tell, but only as far as we may gather out of the Prophets. That at that time the Ten Tribes shall come to Jerusalem under a leading of a Prince.
whom some Rabbins in the Talmud, and in some places of the Chaldy [Aramaic] Paraphrase, do call the Messiah son of Joseph; and elsewhere the Messiah son of Ephraim; who being slain in the last war of Gog and Magog shall [be revived by Messiah son of David who is], as Ezekiel and Hosea say, The Everlasting Prince of all the Twelve Tribes. Our wise men do, in many places, especially in the Babylonian Talmud, in tractate Succah, ch. 5, make mention of the Messiah the son of Ephraim, where they say that he shall die in the War of Gog and Magog; and they so expound that of Zechariah 12:10 AND I WILL POUR ON THE HOUSE OF DAVID AND ON THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND SUPPLICATION; THEN THEY WILL LOOK ON ME WHOM THEY PIERCED. YES, THEY WILL MOURN FOR HIM AS ONE MOURNS FOR HIS ONLY SON, AND GRIEVE FOR HIM AS ONE GRIEVES FOR A FIRSTBORN.."
They add also that the Four Captains, of whom the same Prophet speaks in chapter 11, are the Messiah the son of David, Messiah the son of Joseph, the Prophet Elijah, and the High Priest; which four are the same as those dignitaries who shall show their power in that blessed age. Observe that sometimes they call the Messiah "son of Ephraim," sometimes "Son of Joseph"; for he shall come out of the Tribe of Ephraim, and shall be the Captain of all the Ten Tribes, who gave their name to Ephraim, because their first King Jeroboam was of that Tribe. Not without cause do they call him the "Son of Joseph," for he was the true type of the House of Israel, in his imprisonment and future happiness. Add to this that he was so long hidden from his brethren, that they did not know him as in like manner the Ten Tribes are at this day, who are led captive but hereafter shall attain the highest felicity, in the same manner as Joseph did. That Messiah son of Joseph shall die in the battle of Gog and Magog, and afterward shall rise again, that he may enjoy the dignity, not of a King, Scepter, but only of a Vice-Roy, as Joseph in Egypt; for that the Empire of the House of Israel, fell under the reign of the Hosea the son of Elah; as the Prophet Amos 5:2 says. Therefore the Kingdom of the House of Israel shall be restored, as Ezekiel says in ch. 37 under the reign of Messiah the son of David who shall be everlasting; and by the death of Messiah the son of Joseph, the Ten Tribes will see that God wills not that they should have more kings than one, as its already spoken.
Brit-Am Commentary:
The Lost Ten Tribes will return. Joseph will wage war on Edom as described in the Book of Obadiah. Obadiah also mentions the Israelites being led by "Saviors" in the plural. This was understood to mean the Messiah son of David as well as the Messiah son of Joseph. In Biblical Hebrew the term "Messiah" ("Moshiach") means "Anointed" and connotes any sanctified leader. The term "Moshiach" (Messiah) in Sephardic Hebrew can sound similar to the word "Moshiah" meaning "Savior."
3. Biblical Source: The Prophet Obadiah and the Two Saviors.
OBADIAH (NKJV) 1:
17 BUT ON MOUNT ZION THERE SHALL BE DELIVERANCE,
AND THERE SHALL BE HOLINESS;
THE HOUSE OF JACOB SHALL POSSESS THEIR POSSESSIONS.
18 THE HOUSE OF JACOB SHALL BE A FIRE,
AND THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH A FLAME;
[Here we have House of Jacob juxtaposed to the House of Joseph]
BUT THE HOUSE OF ESAU SHALL BE STUBBLE;
THEY SHALL KINDLE THEM AND DEVOUR THEM,
AND NO SURVIVOR SHALL REMAIN OF THE HOUSE OF ESAU,
FOR THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.
20 AND THE CAPTIVES OF THIS HOST OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
[More correctly translatable as saying '
THIS FIRST EXILE, i.e. of the Lost Ten Tribes, OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL]
SHALL POSSESS THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES
AS FAR AS ZAREPHATH.
[ZAREPHATH ('Tsaraphath') means France (Rashi), or the far north in general (Nachmanides), or England and France together (Abarbanel) and according Rashi and Nachmanides the Lost Ten Tribes are intended while Abarbanel says 'a great many of the Exiles.'
THE CAPTIVES OF JERUSALEM WHO ARE IN SEPHARAD
SHALL POSSESS THE CITIES OF THE SOUTH.
21 THEN SAVIORS SHALL COME TO MOUNT ZION
TO JUDGE THE MOUNTAINS OF ESAU,
AND THE KINGDOM SHALL BE THE LORDS.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/conduct.html
"It is due to this relative advantage (of Joseph having been assimilated to the ways of the Nations) that Esau can only be defeated by the Children of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin) (Midrash Breishit Rabah 73;7). This is as the saying goes, 'The axe that chops down the tree has itself a wooden handle' (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39;b). " Rabbi Avraham HaCohen Kook.