Dear Doves,

I just wanted to ask all of you to be a little cautious with regard to the theory of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel. I first came across this theory years ago when I read Walter Martin’s The Kingdom of the Cults. It was discussed in the section concerning Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. Some of you may still remember the Plain Truth Magazine that Armstrong distributed. (Armstrong has since passed away and I understand that his church has cleaned up its act theologically.) I guess my main concern is that this theory tends to rob the Jewish people of the blessings that were originally covenanted to them. We are warned not to become conceited by the fact that some Jewish branches have been broken off of the olive tree in order for us to be grafted in. "If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you." Romans 11:17-18.

I admit that I have not made a study of this theory. I only know enough to refute it biblically by pointing to Anna, the prophetess who met the infant Jesus at the temple. "There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher." Luke 2:36. Here is a woman, who lived well after the tribes were allegedly lost, but happens to be a member of one of the lost tribes. How could she know her tribe, unless tribal distinctions were still being kept? How could she be of the tribe of Asher, unless it still existed in Israel? Clearly, genealogies were still being kept at the time Jesus was born. Which makes sense because there had to be a way to prove that the Messiah was from the tribe of Judah.

I think that the major flaw of the theory is that it is genetically based. If these 10 tribes ended up in various parts of the world, wouldn’t they have lost their ethnic identity by now? After generations of interbreeding with non-Israelite peoples (i.e. Gentiles), isn’t there a point where a person is no longer an Israelite, but just a Gentile with Israelite ancestors? The Israelites of the Bible were instructed to drive out the other nations from the Promised Land and not to intermarry with them. Deuteronomy 7:1-3. When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity, they had to get rid of the foreign women that they had married as well as their offspring. These unions were viewed as a sin. See Ezra 10. Apparently, God wanted these folks to stay separate from the other nations. Which also makes sense since the Messiah was to come forth from this specific group of people. If they had assimilated into the other nations, this would not have been possible.

Please bear in mind that Satan considers the Jewish people as his special enemy, and he has certainly not lost track of any of them. Why? Because the Messiah was to come through them. And more pertinent to the present time, because Jesus said that he would not return to earth until the Jews ask him to come back. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’" Matthew 23:37-39. Have you ever wondered why people have been trying to wipe out the Jews century after century? It is the result of a spiritual battle, in which Satan is using human beings to do his dirty work. Satan knows that God does not lie. If God says that He is going to accomplish something in a certain way, Satan knows that God is not going to go back on His word. I believe that Satan continually tries to thwart the plan of God – even though it is impossible. If Satan had succeeded in destroying the Jews through death or assimilation early enough, then the Messiah would not have come. If he can destroy them now, the Messiah will not return. Ironically, anti-Semitism has actually worked to preserve the ethnic identity of the Jewish people. It has kept them isolated and distinct from the Gentiles. Consequently, they remain a threat to Satan. They can still ask for Jesus to return.

Our present age is characterized by the hardening of the Jews to the gospel while a specific number of Gentiles are saved. "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved ..." Romans 11:25. It is interesting that Paul refers to the Jews as Israel. (Please note that God always preserves a remnant! The Church started out with Jews and will continue to consist of Jews. ) Significantly, Paul does not make a distinction between the Jews and Israel. In fact, if you read chapters 9 through 11 of Romans, the terms are interchangeable. Therefore, even if the 10 Tribes do exist separately from the Jews, they should still be characterized by the same hardening to the gospel.

The distinctions between Jews and Gentiles are not relevant to our salvation. "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’" Romans 10:12-13. Someday, however, the distinctions between all 12 tribes will be brought to the forefront. God will do this Himself through the sealing of the 144,000. See Revelation 7: 1-8. The Jews, as a nation, will acknowledge their Messiah and call for his return. "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Zechariah 12:10. They will finally receive all of the promises that were covenanted to them – "for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29.

 

Maranatha.

– Lisa Taylor