Why does the bible cover so many instances concerning and placing the tribes of Israel?
The whole land belonged to Israel. Couldn’t all of the different tribes just settle anywhere they chose in the land?
Why were there divisions by tribes?
A little of that subject will become more clear as we study today’s lesson.
KEEPING THE PROMISES TO ABRAHAM
We have seen how every tribe from Israel had finally settled into the lands which God promised Abraham so many years ago in the vision God gave Abraham of the future.
At the time Abraham had no son at all; now in Israel we see proof of God’s promise. There are now millions of Abraham’s descendants living in the land.
Amazingly; they are all assorted into family tribes; not mixed and assimilated all through the nation. There is an order to the settlement here. God places each tribe like a piece of the puzzle that is unique and the only fit.
THE GREAT FAMILY GROWS
From Abraham came Isaac, and from Isaac came Jacob, whom God changed his name to Israel. From Israel came twelve sons who became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. One son named Joseph had two sons born during his Egyptian captivity. They were named Ephraim and Manasseh. Since Joseph inherited the birthright of Israel; his two sons were adopted by Israel so that they could officially be Israelites and inherit the double-portion promised to Joseph as the son of the birthright.
These men became the tribal heads of Israel and their descendants were known by their names.
None of this multiplication of the people even began until Abraham and Sarah were very old. Everything that we are witnessing today seemed practically impossible to them back then. Yet; Abraham had faith to believe that God always keeps His promises.
My friends; if we learn nothing else from this study of the tribes of Israel; we must always remember how faithful God is to His people. He keeps the promises that he makes to them; whether they deserve it or not.
It happened then, and it can happen now.
WELCOME
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BELIEF, FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
Belief, faith and obedience are the tools that God used to produce so many miracles for Abraham’s descendants.
When things looked the most hopeless; they were usually just a part of God’s master plan which we did not yet understand. Much of these plans happened in accordance with the prayers of Abraham, Jacob and Moses. It is very interesting to see how they all unfolded after their blessings before their deaths.
Have you ever had a person to pray over your future even before you were born? This is basically what happened with these tribes in Israel. The nation’s founders prayed to God and asked Him to bring certain blessings and guidance as time passed by.
It is very important that God’s people always carry on in hope and faith for the next generations. We must trust and believe that despite all odds, the miracles from God will come again.
I believe that miracles became every day events with the ancient tribes of Israel as they settled into a this brand new nation which we have begun to study.
COULD YOU BE ONE OF ABRAHAM’S DESCENDENTS?
Have you ever wondered if maybe you are one of these ancient descendants of Abraham? It is very possible.
Some pretty smart and faithful people have prayerfully followed the ancient paths to discover what is known about Abraham’s descendants. Because of their tribal way of life; it was easier to keep up with who did what in the past.
Besides studying the records of each tribe; there were also groups of tribes at certain times in history. We know that Israel later divided into two parts – the North and the South. Also we have records showing how the northern tribes were dispersed and deported by their enemies. The northern ten tribes fell captive to Assyria. They were the first to be taken.
In another captivity, the Southern two tribes and others were carried off to Babylon which eventually was captured by Persia.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?
The old stories tell us some of the details. We know that some of the Southern tribes returned from Babylon’s captivity; but much is lost about the ten northern tribes who assimilated first. Assyria had caused them to be scattered and placed into many other countries. Historical records of their ancestors became lost.
At least we can be sure from historical records that some (from the southern tribes) returned and restored Jerusalem after the Persians released them. These would have been those who were called Judah before the captivity.
Earlier we studied the stories of how Benjamin was protected by Judah. Benjamin was always associated with Judah. It is pretty easy to know that the Jewish culture of today are the descendants of Benjamin and Judah. That much we can know from historical records.
What became of the other ten tribes?
THE TEN LOST TRIBES
This is getting way ahead of our Joshua study; so I will only touch on these thoughts briefly; but by the time we get to the Book of Joshua we have studied the constant events of all of these tribes many times. So much evolved as our studies progressed. It all involved the movements of these “tribes.” I think many participants of this study must be wondering that age-old question of whether or not they might be a lost descendant of Israel.
Maybe they were clueless (as I was when I first began to study the movements of Israel) and possibly they believed that all of Abraham’s descendants were the people who are known as the Jews of today.
They are not. The Jews are PART of the descendants of Abraham; but ten of these tribes were lost and scattered across the earth. Many of them are unaware of their own identity today.
Years of people progressions have been lost to unrecorded history. It is believed that different people groups wandered into places that formed some of the countries other than Israel.
JUDAH AND BENJAMIN
Judah and Benjamin were of the Southern Kingdom when Israel split over where they would worship God.
They stayed loyal to King David.
This people group became known as The Jews. Paul and Mordecai came from the tribe of Benjamin.
At the time of the Judges a man from Benjamin raped a woman. All of the tribes of Israel were mad about this and they fought against Benjamin. Though Benjamin defended his tribe; the punishment was that they could not take women from the other tribes as wives.
Benjamin almost went extinct; but there were a few left in the tribe. They survived by going to the other tribes and kidnapping their wives for themselves. The situation was one of total irony.
WHEN ISRAEL DEMANDED A KING
Later during the time when Israel demanded their own king, Samuel anointed Saul as King of Israel. He was of the tribe of Benjamin.
Saul was a very weak King and the kingdom suffered under his rule. When Saul died his son ruled after him.
Judah did not like Saul’s son and they named their own King. His name was David.
David was of the House of Judah.
He was Israel’s greatest King.
A NATION SPLIT IN TWO
David was a great King; but his grandson (Rehoboam) who inherited the throne was not. Under Rehoboam’s command the nation of Israel split.
Judah, Levi and Benjamin stayed loyal to David’s dynasty and Rehoboam. They made Jerusalem the capitol of the South.
Everyone else went North and elected Jeroboam as their new King. He made Samaria the capitol in the North.
The Northern Kingdom became known as Ephraim.
The Southern Kingdom became known as Judah.
The Levites migrated to Jerusalem and Jeroboam set up a new priesthood and a new religion there. Over time some of the families from Ephraim, Simeon and Manasseh moved to Judah.
At many points in time, neither of the two halves of Israel were following God. Because of their great sins they were eventually taken into exile by other nations.
TIMES OF CAPTIVITY
First Assyria took the North.
Later Babylon took the South.
When Persia took over Babylon and its surrounding areas their leader (Cyrus The Great) let many of the captives return to Israel. For those returning to the lands of the inheritance the country was again called Israel. They worked hard to bring restoration and unity.
ONE KINGDOM WILL LAST FOREVER
Many centuries later Jesus Christ came to earth as a tiny baby. He was born in the city of Bethlehem. Jesus was born to a family of the heritage of Judah.
Though Joseph had the birthright; Judah held the scepter. Judah had received a great blessing from Israel also. Through the bloodline of Judah came Jesus; Our Messiah – The Savior of the World.
We know today that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
His Kingdom will last forever and ever.
Jesus came to be Messiah for Israel first and after them – the whole world.
GETTING DOWN TO TRIBAL SPECIFICS
The Southern tribes (Judah and Benjamin) are the only tribes that history can trace accurately back to the people we now call “Jews.”
The Northern Kingdom was made up of all the tribes other than Judah and Benjamin. Most of history considers their whereabouts today as “unknown.” The Bible gives us some clues though. Whenever we can we will look at those clues further in this study.
REUBEN’S FUTURE
One of the Northern Tribes was Reuben.
Remember how Reuben wanted to stay in the land on the other side of the Jordan River before they crossed over? They agreed to go help Israel conquer Canaan; but later returned to live across the river after that was done. That land became their inheritance.
Time passed on. During the times when Israel was ruled by judges, Reuben failed to join in and defend the rest of Israel from their enemies. Therefore; Reuben no longer remained a part of Israel. At that point Reuben fell into total obscurity.
SIMEON’S FUTURE
Simeon’s inheritance was within the middle of Judah’s inheritance. This tribe became stagnant and didn’t grow very much compared to all the other tribes. They simply dissolved into the tribe of Judah.
Some wondered into other territories and were eventually dispersed all across the nation.
ZEBULUN’S FUTURE
Zebulun was said to be a tribe that served King David with an undivided heart.
It is hard to trace what happened to this tribe. We will look for more clues as we continue our study through the scriptures.
ISSACHAR’S FUTURE
Issachar was loyal to Deborah and Barak during the times of the judges.
They became known as “men who understood the times.” We will look for clues in the scriptures that will help us find out more about what could have happened to the people of Issachar. It isn’t easy information to uncover.
DAN’S FUTURE
Dan never secured their original inheritance.
They migrated north instead. There they worshipped false gods and set up a pagan priesthood.
They were heavy into idolatry by the time that Israel divided into two kingdoms.
You can imagine from those facts what we may be able to discover about the future of the tribe of Dan. We will explore more about this tribe later.
GAD’S FUTURE
All we know of Gad is that they settled originally east of the Jordan.
Let’s keep our ears and eyes open as we continue to speak of the settlements of the tribes. Perhaps we will be able to learn more about Gad from the scriptures as we continue our study process.
ASHER’S FUTURE
Asher went on to possess the region of east Galilee.
They grew rich from the farming of olive trees.
Who are the descendants of Asher today? Some people believe it could be the Arabs. We will explore this subject eventually.
NAPTALI’S FUTURE
There isn’t much revealed from history about Naptali.
They were one of the lost ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom.
Again; we will try to discover whatever we can through our on-going study of the prophetic scriptures.
EPHRAIM’S FUTURE
Ephraim was one of Joseph’s sons. Though he was born in Egypt, he was adopted by Israel. He became head of half of the tribes of Joseph.
Ephraim inherited the birthright of Joseph.
When Israel divided Ephraim’s land became part of the Northern Kingdom. That is one reason that the northern kingdom was often called Ephraim. Sometimes this can be confusing; but we have to separate the whole northern kingdom from the individual tribe of Ephraim. Often all things that applied to one applied to the other.
Many historians believe that Ephraim’s descendants migrated to Great Britain.
Some time will be spent exploring these facts as we progress further into our bible study.
This allotment in the promised land to Ephraim begins their story. Let’s be sure to notice what happens with them as we go along. We need to be thinking of how each tribe’s ancestry effects our lives today.
The progression of Ephraim through history is a very detailed story; full of turns and detours and astounding surprises.
This study will keep exploring these facts as they pertain to the future.
MANASSEH
Manasseh was the other and oldest son of Joseph.
His tribes settled on both sides of the Jordan River.
Some people have come to associate the descendants of Manasseh with the people of America. Could this be true?
If so; what would it mean to many of us?
That depends. This too is a subject we want to explore more as we continue to study. For now let’s begin by remembering how Manasseh started out within The Promised Land. Note that a river divides this tribe into two parts. This is significant in so many ways. Look at America today. Do you see divisions?
PROPHECY REGARDING THE TRIBES
It is important to understand where these tribes are located today. These facts will play into end-time prophecy revelations in the end of time as we know it.
Even after all of this history regarding the settling of the Promised Land, many of the prophesies regarding Israel are yet to be fulfilled. Revelations 7:4-8 speaks of 144,000 Jews who will be marked for God. That would mean 12,000 from every tribe except for Dan.
Again; note where these later descendants started. We are at the beginning of this assent of the tribes from Israel in The Book of Joshua. We will build on the foundational facts as we move on through this bible study.
God always keeps His promises. I’ve said this one thing over and over again as we have studied the Old Testament together. Eventually; all of God’s promises and prophesies will come to pass. It is important for us to know what they are so we can be prepared for the future.
EZEKIEL’S VISION
We do know that God spoke to Ezekiel during the time of Judah’s captivity. He had just turned 30 years old and was in his fifth year of Babylonian exile. Ezekiel was a faithful, but captive priest living and serving God in a foreign land when God gave him this important vision.
In this vision Ezekiel was standing on a riverbank when he saw what looked like a huge whirlwind coming toward him.
This super-storm had flashes of light. Inside the storm Ezekiel saw four creatures that looked like angels. They had the shape of a man but four wings and four faces. Next to them Ezekiel saw wheels within wheels (like a gyroscope.) As his vision became clearer and nearer; Ezekiel saw a throne and God sitting upon that throne.
He fell on his face before God. It must have been overwhelming. That was when God commissioned Ezekiel with a great new task.
EZEKIEL’S COMMISSION
(Ezekiel 2:3) And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.”
Ezekiel was encouraged by God to be a watchman on a wall for the nations that would come from Israel.
Many seem to think that Ezekiel received this vision for the Southern Kingdom which was with him in that day of the Babylonian captivity. Others happen to disagree. They think it was a vision for the Northern Kingdom and The Ten Lost Tribes.
Why?
SOUTHERN KINGDOM HAD ALREDY BEEN RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY
Because at that time Cyrus had released the Southern Kingdom Jews from their captivity. They were allowed to return to Jerusalem if they wished to do so and many did. These were called “the remnant” and they went back in waves (groups at a time) to rebuild the temple and restore the land. When Ezekiel had this vision; they had already been released from their captivity.
However; it is completely logical to assume that God was speaking of The Northern Kingdom and the Ten Lost Tribes. Their captivity never officially ended because they were lost due to assimilation.
No one knew where to find them; much less decree that they were free to return to Israel.
Today we can trace them though. We have to look for their identity through history and archeological evidence.
TRACING THE NORTHERN TRIBES THROUGH TIME
As I mentioned previously we are jumping way ahead of our Joshua study here; but I feel it is significant information to know based on the fact that these tribes of Israel are first placed in Israel in The Book of Joshua. What happened to them in the times after that are things that have great prophetic significance to us.
In the times of Joshua we enter the beginning of a model nation God is forming from a people who were not a people. As we progress through the scriptures, God will show us more and more truths concerning these particular tribes.
Even though the Northern tribes practically disappeared from history when they were assimilated by Assyria; the people still existed. They were still a part of the people of Israel; though unknown to the rest of the world. This is important for us to understand if we are going to be able to sort out end-time prophecy.
PROPHECY FROM AMOS
It was one prophet named Amos who said this: “Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the LORD. ‘For surely I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground’” (Amos 9:8-9)
And what will evolve from all of this sifting?
Jesus said; “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28.)
TWELVE GATES OF NEW JERUSALEM
Other scriptures speak of the importance of the divisions of these tribes. Revelation 21:12 speaks of the New Jerusalem having twelve gates named after the twelve tribes of Israel.
The twelve tribes have been important to God from the very beginning of the family of Israel. This importance will last until the end of time as we know it.
All of this naming and defining of each tribe must be important and significant to God’s plan for mankind. It happens consistently throughout all of the scriptures; both New and Old Testaments.
TWELVE TRIBES SCATTERED ABROAD
It appears from reading the book of James that some of the twelve tribes knew where the others were because of the way James spoke as he presented his writings. The scriptures read; “To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.”
We start discovering more of the history when we learn the Assyrian names given to those tribes who were assimilated. When this assimilation was mentioned in 2 Kings 17:6 we read of how the people were transported “to Assyria and placed them in Halah and by the Harbor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”
At this time historical records record a new people in this land called the Cimmerians and Scythians. These were also called Khumri, Ghomri, Gimiri and Iskuza. All of these names are derivatives of Israel and Isaac.
PEOPLE CALLED BY ANOTHER NAME
During the time that Israel (as a vassal nation) paid tribute to Assyria, prior to the days they were destroyed by Assyria, a pictorial etching of King Jehu of Israel was designed showing Israel bowing and paying tribute to King Shalmaneser of Assyria.
Texts of this famous Black Obelisk in the British Museum speak of Jehu, Son of Omri, giving the Assyrian King silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff and spears.
SCYTHIANS AND CIMMERIANS
We know that historical writers wrote about the Scythians and the Cimmerians after this.
One such writer, named Tamara Rice, wrote “The Scythians did not become a recognizable national entity much before the eighth century BC. By the seventh century BC they had established themselves firmly in southern Russia. Analogous tribes, possibly even related clans, though politically entirely distinct and independent, were also centered on the Altai (Mountains of southern Russia and Mongolia.) Assyrian documents place their appearance there in the time of King Sargon (722-705 BC), a date which closely corresponds with that of the establishment of the first group of Scythians in southern Russia.”
This seems to say to us that some of the Northern tribes who were assimilated by the Assyrians first settled after that event in parts of southern Russia and Mongolia.
SETTLING IN RUSSIA AND MONGOLIA
A man named Boris Piotrovsky wrote a book titled “From the Lands of the Scythians.” Within those writings he notes “Two groups, Cimmerians and Scythians, seem to be referred to in Urartean and Assyrian texts, but it is not always clear whether the terms indicate two distinct peoples or simply mounted nomads.
Beginning in the second half of the eighth century BC, Assyrian sources refer to nomads identified as the Cimmerians; other Assyrian sources say these people were present in the land of the Mannai and in Cappadocia for a hundred years, and record their advances into Asia Minor and Egypt.
ASIA MINOR AND EGYPT
So now we see how it is possible that the Northern Tribes moved from Assyria to Southern Russia and Mongolia, then migrated to Mannai and Cappadocia for a hundred years, then moved on to Asia Minor and Egypt.
Not all of these people were Israelites; only some of them.
Later we find that history records the Cimmerians and the Gauls were mixed together and later became known as the Celts. George Rawlingson wrote “We have reasonable grounds for regarding the Gimirri, or Cimmerians, who first appeared on the confines of Assyria and Media in the seventh century BC, and the Sacae of the Behistun Rock, nearly two centuries later, as identical with the Beth-Khumree of Samaria, or the Ten Tribes of the House of Israel.” (History of Herodotus.)
THE CELTS
Another historian named Anne Kristensen agrees with this theory. She stated “There is scarcely reason any longer to doubt the exciting and verily astonishing assertion propounded by the students of the Ten Tribes that the Israelites deported from Bit Humria, of the House of Omri, are identical with the Gimirraja of the Assyrian sources. Everything indicates that Israelite deportees did not vanish from the picture but that, abroad, under new conditions, they continued to leave their mark on history.” (Who were the Cimmerians, and Where Did They Come From?)
It is amazing to compare these notes with Isaiah 49:6 which states that God’s Servant will “restore the preserved ones of Israel” and these peoples will come from “the north and the west” back to Jerusalem” (verse 12.)
This is a piece of prophecy that happened without notice by most.
UNNOTICED EVIDENCE
There is archeological evidence of these migrations as well as historical records.
Scythian burial grounds show a connection between these peoples and the Nordics.
At first historians believed that the Scythians were Mongols but the discovery of certain kinds of art and a frozen corpse of a Scythian warrior indicate otherwise.
Scythian chiefs were buried with their wealth from life. This included their wives, horses and art. The artwork discovered in the burial places revealed images of Scythians that depicted men with long, flowing locks, facial hair and Caucasian features.
Another find of a well-preserved mummy of a Scythian warrior appeared to be a 30-40 year old man with blonde hair. They found him in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia near China and Russia. We all know that Mongolians do not have blonde hair. It is more characteristic of Europeans.
NORTHWESTERN EUROPE AND BRITISH ISLES
From such evidence of their existence, it seems that the ten lost tribes moved to northwestern Europe and the British Isles.
Also many people from these tribes settled in the United States and the commonwealth nations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Most scholars now believe that the people who settled in northwestern Europe and the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel today.
UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Are you surprised to hear of these countries in relation to the descendants of Abraham?
Does it matter to us?
Through Jesus, all people of the earth can receive salvation. Being a part of one of these tribes is not a matter of salvation. Salvation is a free available-to-all gift from God.
However; it is important to understand where the twelve tribes migrated to for the purpose of understanding biblical prophecy. So many prophets have given prophecy according to the names of the tribes of Israel. Some of those prophecies are still waiting to take place.
THE RETURN
Jeremiah 30 is one example. It speaks of a future restoration that will come to Israel and Judah. These scriptures speak of how many of these people will return to the land that God granted to their ancestors. Some of this has already taken place. Much more of it has been predicted by the prophets.
As we think of the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” we remember Deuteronomy 28 which proclaims times of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Some tribes will still either be blessed or suffer the consequences of their behavior in the future.
Where do you think our nation will fall in this event?
THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE
The scriptures explain that descendants of Jacob are going to face hard trials and severe conditions before the second coming of Christ.
Understanding the tribes helps us to know what each group will most likely go through later.
So; I’ve dropped a few hints as to where each nation is hiding today; but we will learn more as we continue to explore how God commanded Joshua to settle the people into the Promised Land.
Next week we will talk more about what happened to the Levites during the settlement of The Promised Land.