When Solomon died, because his strange wives had made him turn away from God and serve demons instead, his kingdom was split by God into 2 parts: a northern kingdom of “Israel” and a southern kingdom of “Judah”. At this time, 10 of the 12 tribes of Jacob formed the northern kingdom, and the remaining 2, namely the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, formed the southern kingdom. As for the tribe of Levi, some went on in Israel, while others went on in Judah.
And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee… Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
1 Kings 11:31-33
This is why, today, a “Jew” is someone either of the tribe of Judah, or of the tribe of Benjamin, or of the tribe of Levi.
The apostle Paul, for instance, was of the “tribe of Benjamin” (ref. Philippians 3:5), and he described himself as a “Jew” (ref. Acts 21:39).
In 722 BC, because the northern kingdom of Israel had continued to worship and serve demons instead of God, God made Assyria invade, occupy, and even scatter Israel, to such an extent that Israel ceased to be a cohesive people.
For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 14:15-16
This fulfilled the prophecy of Hosea 1. For its many transgressions, one, Israel would cease as a kingdom, and two, Israel would be utterly taken away, and three, Israel would no longer be a people of God.
And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
Hosea 1:4-9
Now, apparently, there are some on the Internet that claim to have found the 10 lost tribes of Israel through extensive research and whatnot. This cannot be correct, because the Bible is clear that the ancient kingdom of Israel, which comprised of 10 tribes of Jacob, had angered God so much that God decided to bring it to an end. Consequently, these 10 tribes were scattered across the Assyrian empire, never again to exist as a cohesive people or a single culture. By the time of the Son of man, the land that had been the northern kingdom of Israel was inhabited by a mingled people known as Samaritans.
By contrast, the kingdom of Judah remained intact even when it was exiled to Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. So, when the Jews returned to Jerusalem at the time of Cyrus, they were still more or less the same people genetically and culturally.
Now, even though Israel was brought to an end as a people, God prophesies in the Old Testament as well as in the New that around the time of Armageddon, he will re-gather 144000 of the descendants of Israel as “saints” or “sons of God”, and therefore, a remnant of the kingdom of Judah and a remnant of the kingdom of Israel will be re-united as one kingdom, namely the holy kingdom of God.
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 1:10-11
Here is same prophecy in the New Testament, which is something I missed the last time I addressed this topic.
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Romans 9:26
Because Israel ceased to be a cohesive people in 722 BC, to be a descendant of Israel today, you only need to have one ancestor who lived in the kingdom of Israel in 722 BC.
However, to be a descendant of Judah today, you must have a continual bloodline – and I would say a patrilineal bloodline – that extends all the way back to the kingdom of Judah.
What this means is, the saints of Israel will be quite international in appearance.
In Isaiah 49, it is prophesied that some will come from far way – from the north, from the west, and even from Sinim (China). I myself am Chinese.
And I will make all my mountains [metaphor saints] a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains [saints]: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
Isaiah 49:11-13
From Revelation 7:1-4 and Revelation 16:10, it is clear that some of the saints will come from what is known today as the Middle East. Thus, among the saints will be Arabs, Persians, Kurds, and even Turks.
From Revelation 18:24, a scripture about Mystery Babylon, it is clear that some of the saints will come from what is currently the United States of America.
However we all are, technically we are all related to Israel.
God says in Isaiah 49, that this new Israel, which will serve him as an army, will be fundamental to the future of Judah and the security of the kingdom of God.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou [Jews] shalt surely clothe thee with them [saints] all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.
Isaiah 49:18
This army will be invincible. No human or angel or technology will be able to kill a saint.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17
In Micah 2, it is clear that Jesus Christ will not only assemble this new Israel, but he will also lead it.
I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.
Micah 2:12-13
Because of the invincibility and power of this army, after the day of the LORD, Jews in Zion who have been made holy will not see evil any more.
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
Zephaniah 3:15
And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
Zechariah 2:4-5
Indeed, once Judah is corrected, Judah shall dwell forever as a blessed people, from generation to generation.
… Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.
Joel 3:20-21