Earnest Says

Biblical Truth is on the Side of Brit-Am! (28 December, 2014, 6 Tevet, 5775)

Continued from Really Earnest

A Refutation of the article:
The Not Lost Tribes of Israel. Who and Where Are the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel Today?
by Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D.
http://www.soundchristian.com/tribes/

Part Six.

Martin says:
These Israelites returning to their homeland after so many years of exile will be adhering basically to the customs of Moses (that is, they will be honoring the Sabbath, holydays and other "Jewish" religious principles). And while over the past twenty-five hundred years there have been a number of Gentile elements who have joined forces with the houses of Israel and Judah (and this has resulted in quite a diversity of ethnic variety among the Israelites), by the very fact that the Mosaic signs of the Sabbath and holydays (with the various kosher food laws) have remained with them, they are certainly reckoned by God as proper Israelites. Indeed, the joining of Gentiles to Israel was completely allowed by God if there were genuine conversions to the Mosaic legislation (Exodus 12:38; Genesis 34:15-24; Deuteronomy 21:10-14; Matthew 23:15). Only with certain races were there specific restrictions (Deuteronomy 23:3-8).

The one central requirement for a Gentile to become a true Israelite was that of utter conversion to the Mosaic faith (Ruth 1:16). There have been many such conversions over the centuries and it has resulted in a variety of racial types among the Israelites. This was especially true in the Persian period. When the Jewish victory over Haman was evident, we are told that "many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:17). The Jews in Palestine after the time of Alexander the Great were particularly affected by this mixture of Gentile peoples into the body of Jewish believers. Josephus tells us that the whole of the Arabic tribe called the Iturians were converted to Judaism and began to worship as Jews (Antiquities XIII.318,319). Even the majority of the Edomites that remained in southern Palestine were forcibly converted to Judaism just before the time of Christ (Antiquities XIII.257). As a matter of fact, great numbers of Gentile women were converting to Judaism in the first century and they would obviously be rearing their children to be Jews (War 11.561). Many Syrians of Antioch also became converted to Judaism and adopted the principles of the Mosaic legislation (War VII.42-45).

These intrusions of Arabic and Middle Eastern blood lines into the Judaic family in Palestine produced a different type of Jewish people (as far as racial appearance was concerned) and it has persisted to this day. These "Arabic type" Jews became known primarily as Sephardic Jews. And though there are several types of Sephardic Jews (some with classical Judaic features and others more Arabic"), they are still considered by the biblical revelation to be "Jews." But this mixture among certain sections of the Sephardic Jews who were scattered over the Arabic lands of North Africa and the Middle East, allowed them to take on certain racial characteristics different from the Northern Ten Tribes. The latter group of Israelites remained primarily in the north without Arabic or Syrian mixture. They migrated in various waves and at different times into northwestern and then eastern Europe. And while there was some mixture even with the northern Israelites (a minor intrusion of Khazarite conversion), the northerners who finally settled primarily in the area of Germany (and then later in Poland and the Russian areas of the east) retained much more of a European appearance. These northern peoples became known generally by the name Ashkenazi because of their long stay in the German area (which was called Ashkenaz in Hebrew). But whether these Israelites are Sephardic or Ashkenazi in origin, they are all Israelites because of their Mosaic customs.

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Martin says the TTs when they return will be keeping Sabbaths and Mosaic Law. Maybe. But who says?

The TTS shall be Separate from Judah: Isaiah 11:12-13 49:21.
The TTS shall be Not known to Judah: Isaiah 49:13-14, 21. Hosea 1:7.
14 But Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me,
And my Lord has forgotten me [Isaiah 49:14].

Isaiah quotes the Jews of Judah in the End Times as saying to themselves:

Isaiah 49:
21 Then you will say in your heart,
Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they? [Isaiah 49:21].

God days that in the End Times, after their reunification, HE will clean them of their idolatries. This indicates that up until that time they will have committed idolatry!
Ezekiel 37:
22I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. 23They shall never again defile themselves with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the apostasies into which they have fallen,* and will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
See also Hosea chapter 1.

Ezekiel (11:18) hints that first the exiles will return to the Land of Israel and after that they shall put away their idols and keep the Law (11:20).
The verses in question can be read several ways but this is their primary literal meaning:

Ezekiel 11:
14 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 15Mortal, your kinsfolk, your own kin, your fellow exiles,* the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'They have gone far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.' 16Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far away among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a little while* in the countries where they have gone. 17Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18When they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19I will give them one* heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations,* I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord God.

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Martin:
Now note this. Both "Israel" and "Judah" are prophesied to become one nation in Palestine again before the Second Advent of Christ. And this is happening now.

We are then told by Zechariah that after this covenant union, Israel will then begin to mourn for the one that "they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10-14). There will be a conversion of many of these Israelites to what will be considered as "Jewish Christianity." God is going to "pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication" (Zechariah 12:10).

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Martin changes the subject to that dealing with the Christian Messiah.
The wishful thinking of Martin is not borne out by Scripture.

[Zechariah 12:10] AND I WILL POUR UPON THE HOUSE OF DAVID, AND UPON THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND OF SUPPLICATIONS: AND THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED, AND THEY SHALL MOURN FOR HIM, AS ONE MOURNETH FOR HIS ONLY SON, AND SHALL BE IN BITTERNESS FOR HIM, AS ONE THAT IS IN BITTERNESS FOR HIS FIRSTBORN.

The key phrase is,
AND THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED.
The Hebrew construct DOES NOT require the "THEY" in THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME to be the same THEY in THEY HAVE PIERCED.
It could just as easily be rendered as "They shall look upon him [or upon "me"] who was pierced [by others].
This brings us into the question of christological prophecies or prophecies interpreted by Christians as referring to their own deity.
We do not want to go there at present.
It is not directly connected with the question of the Ten tribes which is what this article is supposeed to be concerned with.

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Martin says:

When, in the years ahead of us, many people of Israel begin to accept Jesus as their Messiah, the nation of Israel is going to soar in power and authority in the Middle East. Most of the people of Europe and the western world will come to a close sympathy with them. When the Israelis begin to accept Jesus in multitudes, the Moslems in the area will change their attitudes toward them. In the Koran we find that Mohammed prophesied for all people in the world: "Behold, God said: O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee of the falsehoods of those that blaspheme. I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject the faith, to the Day of Resurrection" (Sura 111.55 -this is the original reading of the text). When the Jews accept Jesus and start practicing His principles (and Zechariah shows it will be done in honesty and sincerity), they will then become superior in the Middle East and even the Moslems will acquiesce to Mohammed's teaching.

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Martin is dreaming.
Jews becoming Christians brings DISASTER on the people concerned.
See: Relative Idolatry?
Why Christianity (though positive in itself) is forbidden to Jews
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/religion/idolatry.html
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Martin says:

Sometime after this upsurge of "Jewish Christianity" in Israel, Zechariah shows that a major point of confrontation is prophesied to happen among the people of Israel. It concerns the person who was sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12,13). This is clearly Christ Jesus. He is described in the last three chapters of Zechariah. He is the person over whom many in Israel will begin to mourn. Many Israelis will begin to accept Jesus (Zechariah 12:10). But a great controversy is going to take place regarding the role of Jesus. A resistance will be shown by some in accepting him. Zechariah then prophesies that a civil war will take place in the land in the context of speaking about the One who was pierced (Zechariah 13:7-9). This conflict is so well recognized as described in Zechariah 11:14-17, that the New English Bible simply attaches Zechariah 13:7-9 to Zechariah 11:17.
The prophet Zechariah shows this civil war will develop over "the one who was pierced" (the one who was sold for thirty shekels). "I will break the brotherhood between Israel and Judah" (Zechariah 11:14). What we find is that the Ashkenazi Israelites (those who primarily represent the House of Israel and were scattered as wanderers over the northern areas of the world) will have a serious confrontation with the Sephardic Israelites who remained in the Middle East and Arabic countries who have a different type of temperament and life-style than most Ashkenazis. It will concern the role of Jesus. It is well understood by Israelis today that there are some major differences between the Israelites who have lived so long in Europe and those who have lived most of their time in Arabic lands. And though there will be those who are Ashkenazi and Sephardic who will then accept (or reject) the One who was pierced, the final outcome will be a victory for both sides. Though the confrontation between Judah and Israel will be severe (Zechariah 11:14-17 with 13:7-9), both groups will finally emerge to accept the One over whom the confrontation occurs. The apostle Paul shows that God will enact a New Covenant with both the House of Israel and the House of Judah (Hebrews 8:8-13) and that in the end "all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:26).
by Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D.

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Zechariah 11:
7 So, on behalf of the sheep dealers, I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. I took two staffs; one I named Favour, the other I named Unity, and I tended the sheep. 8 In one month I disposed of the three shepherds, for I had become impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9 So I said, 'I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die; what is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed; and let those that are left devour the flesh of one another!' 10 I took my staff Favour and broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep dealers, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 I then said to them, 'If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.' So they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, 'Throw it into the treasury, this lordly price at which I was valued by them. So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the Lord. 14 Then I broke my second staff Unity, annulling the family ties between Judah and Israel.

Martin says that the incident concerning the 30 pieces of silver happened about 30 CE according to Christian reckoning.
Its outcome, says Martin, will involve a division between the Ten Tribes and the Jews in the future.
This is stretching the Scriptures overduly. The passage above seems to say that division will happen shortly before whatever events were connected with the thirty pieces of silver and the potters field, as seen above.
Martin is saying that the Ashkenazic Jews are the Ten Tribes. The Sephardic Jews are Judah. The Ashkenazic Jews, he says will become Christians.
A civil war shall be fought between the Christian Jews (i.e. the Ashkenazic Ten tribes) and the Religious Sephardic Jews of Judah.
The Christians will win and then all the Jews, says Martin, will be better off.
This shows us what Martin wanted.
It is NOT what Scripture says.
[Continued at Earnest Ended]