the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.” Later, during the reign of Asa, another great company came from the North. W e find this recorded in 2 Chronicles 15:9: "And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.” From these verses, the evidence is plain to every person except the incurably gullible that the "lost” ten tribes are not lost at all, and that the contention of the Anglo- Israelites that the people of the Kingdom of the North remained separate from the Kingdom of the South is with out scriptural support. In Ezra 1:5 we find the account that when Ezra prepared to restore Palestine, members of other tribes, aside from Judah and Benjamin, returned to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. "Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.” Together with Judah and Benjamin, there were Levites and "all them whose spirit God had raised.” This included men of the ten tribes who have emigrated from the North. Let us now turn to the New Testament and see how clear the statements are that the 12 tribes were in the land of Palestine during the life of the Lord, and let us see how this fact completely annihilates the position of the Anglo- Israelites which is based upon the supposition that only Jews of the tribe of Judah were in the land then. Read Luke-2:36: "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity.” Note: Anna was a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel who was of the tribe of Asher. How does it happen that a member of the tribe of Asher was in Palestine when, according to Anglo-Israelism, she should have been in Great Britain ? Turn to Matthew 15:24 for further proof: "But he an swered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” T he house of Israel was not lost physically but spiritually, and when He came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He found them in Palestine and not in Britain. In Matthew 1 0 :5 ,6 we find the 12 disciples commissioned by the Lord. What were their marching orders? Listen: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” They were not sent to the lost sheep of the house of Judah only but to the lost sheep o f the house o f Israel. Where did they find the lost sheep of the house of Israel? In Britain? In Denmark? In the Dardanelles? In Ireland? Surely not! They were in Palestine, and to the 12 tribes the 12 disciples ministered. Numbers in the Bible have a sig nificance, and the disciples were 12 in number, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The fact that the 12 disciples were sent by the Lord to the house of Israel is evidence that the 12 tribes were in the land of Palestine at the time. Let us read Peter’s message at Pentecost, observing how CO N T IN U ED 29
journeyed to Jerusalem and dwelt thereafter in Judah. Thus all of the 12 tribes were located in the Southern Kingdom, leaving only apostates in the Northern Kingdom. Note how God later addresses the 12 tribes in the South: "Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin” (2 Chr. 1 1 :3 ). Please note the order in which the people came from the Northern Kingdom into the South. First we have the Levites, the tribe of Levi. In 2 Chronicles 11:14-17, we read: "For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord: And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam
'IJo u t C a r-e & C l i r i i t
When life’s problems press upon you T ill you’re tempted to despair; There is one who knows the answer: Take it to the Lord in prayer. In the power of His presence There’s a cure for every care, And the burden will be lifted In the secret place of prayer. When the days are dark and dreary, And your soul is filled with fear, Hear the words of Christ, the Saviour, "Fear not, child, for I am near.” Trust Him then, your Lord and Master, He whose loving arm is strong. Faith will turn your trial to triumph; In your heart you’ll find a song. When the ceaseless waves of worry Threaten you on every side, Hasten to that blessed haven Where in peace you may abide. Every worry there will vanish In the sunshine of His Word, And the storm will softly slumber In the presence of the Lord. If your soul is sick and saddened, Burdened with the guilt of sin, There is one who waits to heal you, And to cleanse your heart within. In His boundless grace and mercy, Grace which only God can know, You will find your guilt all covered, And your sins made white as snow. — A lbert Simpson Reitz
FEBRUARY 1957
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