I'm an infrequent poster but I offer this for thought.
Bible prophecy as we have all discovered uses OT type symbolism to express NT truth. Even as simple as 'The Lamb' of God. 'The 'Israel' of God . The children of Sarah (the church) as opposed to those of 'the bondwoman' (physical Israel) .
How about this one:
The nation of Israel ended up split into 'Judah' (actually Judah and Benjamin?) and the other 10 tribes - 'Israel' - or sometimes 'Ephraim' who were 'lost' in dispersion. There are plenty of references to their future restoration/ salvation/ role in the 'end times' .
Do their different roles as the 'primary'/faithful tribe of Judah and the backsliding Israel have any wider meaning in prophecy?
For example I'm intrigued by the 'Tale of Two Sticks' that follows the valley of dry bones prophecy in Ezekiel. Following the coming of the Spirit, two are made one BY THE TWO JOINED PIECES OF WOOD. Or could it mean as Paul puts it - 'no longer Jew and Gentile but One body BY THE CROSS'? Might 'Judah'  there be the faithful called out children of Abraham from among the gentile world?

Or take an even stranger prophecy from the end of Zechariah where the heat is on 'Jerusalem AND Judah' in the last days.
Why the distinction between the two if it's all just the Jews in the land of Israel? Why are the 'Leaders of Judah' striking down the nations around Israel?
Why do they feel the support of the Jews in Jerusalem to be such an encouragement? Why does God 'rescue Judah FIRST' so that the 'house of David does not feel itself to be above Judah?
Why does the blindness fall from the eyes of 'Jerusalem' after that rescue take place?

Well if Judah is the church here, look at it again:
The political leaders of the 'Christian world' (America under Bush and his Christian backing) certainly feel the kinship and support of Israel (Jerusalem) in their fight against Islamic expansionism.
America (with a few followers) is 'striking the nations around Israel'.
The church will be 'rescued' first (the Rapture) , and only THEN will physical Israel see her Messiah and 'mourn because of Him'.

I think the possibility of this interpretation bears examination - I've seen it this way for a coupla years but never articulated it, so the above is a first expression. God bless America - and that from a Scot! (I'm so glad the Black Watch are in there redeeming our 'Christian name' See what you think.
Ian