The Ten Tribes
All the Congregation of the Sons of Israel
Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel. (Exodus 35:1)
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he gathered the whole assembly of the community of Israel. He gave them the good news about the renewal of the covenant, instructed them regarding the observance of the Sabbath, and told them to gather a contribution for the construction of the Tabernacle.
When the Messiah comes down from His place in glory, He gathers the Jewish people from all over the world. He even gathers them from the dead, resurrecting the faithful among the exiles of Israel who perished in foreign lands. Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones depicts the resurrection of exiles buried outside the land of Israel (Ezekiel 37).
The Messiah will also gather the ten lost tribes (the kingdom of Israel) that broke off from Judah under King Jeroboam and went into exile under Assyria. In the same chapter as his vision of the resurrection of the dry bones, Ezekiel predicts that the LORD will gather from every side of the world both the exiles of the house of Judah (i.e., the kingdom of Judah) and the exiles of the house of Joseph (i.e., the kingdom of Israel). The LORD will unite them into "one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them" (Ezekiel 37:22).
Isaiah describes the LORD gathering "the remnant of His people" in a second Exodus event that takes place in the days of the Messiah. The LORD takes them out "from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea" (Isaiah II:I1). He gathers both "the banished ones of Israel" and "the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah II: 12). He removes the animosity between the two kingdoms so that "Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim" (Isaiah II:13). Much as He once split the Red Sea, He divides the Euphrates River into seven streams and stops its flow so that the exiles of the tribes in Assyria can cross over it in their sandals, dry shod. "There will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of His people who will be left, just as there was for Israel in the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt" (Isaiah II:16).
The oracles of Jeremiah also depict the LORD gathering the exiles of Judah and the exiles of Israel (Jeremiah 3:18). After the time of Jacob's trouble, the LORD consoles weeping Rachel with the comforting promise that her children (the lost tribes) will return to the land and be restored:
"For behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah." The LORD says, "I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it." (Jeremiah 30:3)
Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, and I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; a great company, they will return here. With weeping they will come, and by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, on a straight path in which they will not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn. (Jeremiah 31:8-9)
With these words and many other prophecies, the Bible promises the ingathering and restoration of all twelve tribes of Israel. The Messiah is the agent of that end-times ingathering; He is the banner lifted "for the nations" to "assemble the banished ones of Israel" (Isaiah II:12). With such promises in mind, Yeshua told His disciples, "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
The Lost Tribes
After this I saw the same man come down from the mountain and call to him another multitude that was peaceable. (2 Ezra 13:12)
Where are the lost tribes? If we knew that, they wouldn't be lost, would they? The location of the mysterious ten northern tribes fascinated the Jewish imagination for thousands of years. It's also been a favorite subject of speculation for Christians.
The Bible reports that "the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes" (2 Kings 18:11). Those place names indicate a broad scattering across Northeastern Mesopotamia extending from Turkey's border with modern Syria as far as the Iranian plateau (areas that are today Muslim nations).
From time to time, seemingly sober-minded ethnographers make suggestions about potential Israelite origins for this remote people group or that one, but the evidence they offer is usually scarce. Jews did spread far and wide. For example, several secluded populations of Jews that once lived outside of contact with the rest of the Jewish world have now found their way home from East Asia, India, and Ethiopia. Perhaps the descendants of lost tribes are also living in isolated pockets among the nations but unaware of their ancestry.
On the assumption that the lost tribes assimilated into the nations, some people eagerly attempt to identify their own ancestry with people groups they suppose to be descended from the lost tribes. Such claims are spurious, usually based on false etymologies, historical speculation, and wishful thinking.
Nevertheless, the return of the ten lost tribes is a prominent feature of Jewish eschatology as a hallmark of the end of the age. Their reappearance signals the final redemption, the reunification of Israel, and the beginning of the Days of the Messiah. So where are they?
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
Epistle of Baruch
Now go and tarry not in any place, nor enter a nest, nor settle upon any tree, until you have passed over the many wide waters of the Euphrates River, and have gone to the people that dwell there, and cast down to them this epistle. (2 Baruch 77:22)
Early Jewish tradition did not anticipate finding the ten tribes assimilated into the nations. Jewish tradition sought the ten lost tribes somewhere beyond the edge of this world, still in possession of their Israelite identity.
The last ten chapters of 2 Baruch (78-87) consist of a long epistle to the ten tribes. Apocryphal Baruch composes the letter. He implores the ten tribes to observe the Torah, its commandments, and its holy days in anticipation of the coming redemption. He tells them that, if they prove themselves worthy, the LORD will reward them by returning them to the land and granting them a share in the World to Come. He knows that the ten tribes reside somewhere beyond the Euphrates River, but he does not know exactly where. He elects to send the letter by airmail. He ties the scroll of his epistle to the neck of an eagle and instructs the eagle to pass "over the breadth of the many waters of the river Euphrates" and cast down his epistle among the people who dwell there (2 Baruch 77:22).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
Journey From Otherland
Through that region there was a long way to go, a journey of a year and a half; and that country is called Arzareth. (2 Ezra 13:45)
In 2 Ezra's vision of the man who rises from the sea, apocalyptic Ezra sees the Messiah defeat Gog and Magog with the breath of His mouth and then "call to him another multitude that was peaceable." The angel of the LORD explains that these are the ten tribes that King Shalmaneser of the Assyrians led away captive from their own land in the days of King Hoshea (2 Ezra 13:40). The angel provides Ezra with a little backstory to explain where the lost tribes have been residing all these years. It turns out that, after Shalmaneser deported them to distant parts of the Assyrian Empire, they left to find some uninhabited land. They sought a place far from the idolatrous nations where they could live in peace and observe the statutes and commandments that they failed to observe in their own land. The LORD performed miraculous signs to lead them. He stopped up the flow of otherwise deep, impassable channels in the Euphrates River and took them across. From there, the tribes traveled for a year and a half until they arrived in the land called Arzareth (Eretz Acheret, אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת), that is, "Otherland":
The LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land (Eretz Acheret). (Deuteronomy 29:28)
Beyond the normal bounds of the inhabited world, the tribes flourished for centuries in Otherland. In the fullness of time, the LORD once more stops the flow of the Euphrates to allow them to return to the promised land. They respond to the summons of the Messiah, a great host, miraculously preserved through all the generations.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
Beyond the River Sambatyon
The exiles will come with them; the tribes that are situated beyond the Sambatyon River and beyond the mountains of darkness, they will gather and come to Jerusalem. (Numbers Rabbah 16:25)
A well-known piece of Jewish folklore locates the ten tribes beyond the mythical River Sambatyon (Tivano) and beyond the Mountains of Darkness (Genesis Rabbah II:5; Numbers Rabbah 16:25). According to the legend, the waters of the Sambatyon flow with such violent force that they hurl heavy stones downstream six days a week, but the same waters become placid and calm every Sabbath day. The ten tribes are unable to cross the river during the week because of the violence of its coursing, and they are unable to cross on the Sabbath because the Torah prohibits travel on the Sabbath day.
The legend of the Sambatyon has origins at least as far back as the Apostolic Era. Reports of a wondrous river that flowed in accordance with the weekly Shabbat cycle already circulated in the first century (Pliny, Natural History 31:18; Josephus, Jewish War 7:96-99).
Legend has it that, in the end of days, the LORD will stop the flow of the Sambatyon to allow the tribes to cross back over and return to the promised land. In some legends, Messiah son of Joseph (who is also called Ephraim) leads them to the promised land:
[The Messiah son of Joseph] says "to those who are bound, 'Go forth, to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves" (Isaiah 49:9) "Those who are bound" refers to those who are confined beyond the Sambatyon. "Those who are in darkness" refers to those who are beyond the Sambatyon. (Yalkut Shimoni Il:469)
In some of the apocalypses, they arrive in Jerusalem to join the eschatological conflict of the last days (e.g., Midrash Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai). Alternatively, the LORD brings them to Jerusalem through underground tunnels along with the resurrection of the dead:
The Holy One, blessed be He, makes for them tunnels upon tunnels from beneath the earth, and they walk through them until they arrive beneath the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. And the Holy One, blessed be He, stands upon it, and it splits open, and they ascend from within it. (Yalkut Shimoni I1:469)
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
Lost in Israel
The twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad. (James I:1)
You won't find Otherland on a map. Nor will it be easy to locate the River Sambatyon or the Mountains of Darkness. Those locations vanished long ago, along with all the other mythical places once located beyond the edges of ancient maps. Does this mean that the return of the ten lost tribes is also just a myth?
When the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah predicted their return, the ten lost tribes were not yet lost. They remained in Mesopotamia, as it says, "So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day" (2 Kings 17:23, emphasis added). But they were not lost.
What's more, many refugees from the ten tribes defected to Judah before the final fall of the north (2 Chronicles 15:9). Hezekiah made intentional political and religious overtures to the remnant of his northern neighbors (2 Chronicles 30:1-II, 18, and 3I:1). After the fall of Samaria, survivors fled south to Judah. The size of Jerusalem expanded dramatically during Hezekiah's day to accommodate the influx of people from the north. Those refugees and survivors intermarried with the tribe of Judah. Even so, some retained records of their ancestry. By the time Judah went into exile, the nation was already composed of families from all twelve tribes of Israel.
When Cyrus allowed the "Jews" to return to their homeland, the decree included all twelve tribes. The Persians applied the term "Jews" to everyone who practiced the religion of Judea (Esther 2:5, 8:8, 17). During the Second Temple Era, representatives of the twelve tribes could still be identified. For example, the New Testament introduces Hannah from the tribe of Asher and Saul of Benjamin. Nevertheless, most Jews, including those with northern ancestry, remained spread across the wide Diaspora. They were all called Jews. James, the brother of the Master, addressed his epistle, "To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad" (James I:I).
Taken together, all of this implies that the ten lost tribes are primarily lost within the Jewish people. The book of Revelation indicates that at least twelve thousand from each of the tribes will be identified in the last days (Revelation 7:4-8). In the Messianic Era, the Messiah will sort through the Jewish people and restore families to their original tribal identities. Maimonides explains how it will happen:
In the days of King Messiah, when his kingdom is established and all Israel are gathered into it, the ancestry of each one of them will be confirmed by Messiah through the Holy Spirit which will rest upon him, as it is written [in Malachi 3:3], "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver."
And he will first purify the children of Levi and will say: "This one has priestly ancestry, and this one has Levitical ancestry." And he will disqualify for priesthood any who are not descended from Israel, as it is written [in Ezra 2:63], "The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim." From this you learn that those presumed to be of a certain lineage will be confirmed, and those with established lineages will be announced by the Holy Spirit. And he will not merely establish ancestry from Israel, but from each tribe. For he will announce that this one is from such and such a tribe, and this one from such and such a tribe. (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim 12:3)
The story of Joseph in Egypt hints about how the Messiah will sort out the tribes. When the tribal fathers came to Egypt, he astonished them by seating them according to their birth order (Genesis 43:33).
In that day, the Messiah will also identify Gentiles with ancestry in Israel. Some of the people from the nations ascending to Jerusalem will come from families that inadvertently lost their ancestry through assimilation. The Messiah will recognize them. Perhaps some Muslims previously dedicated to Jihad will be shocked to learn the truth. Among the nations will be some who qualify for the service of the Temple, as it says, "I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites" (Isaiah 66:21).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
The New Covenant
Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, "These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do." (Exodus 35:I)
In the end of days, the Messiah assembles the whole congregation of the sons of Israel-all twelve tribes-and charges them to observe the commandments of the Torah. He tells them that God has gathered them from the peoples, assembled them out of the countries where He scattered them, and given them the land of Israel so that they can observe His commandments (Ezekiel II:17-20). This time, however, things will be different. The people need not fear falling back into apostasy or going back into exile. They can be certain that they will "obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments" (Deuteronomy 30:8).
God is making a new covenant with both the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. The new covenant will be unlike the covenant He made with them at Sinai because, rather than writing its terms and conditions on tablets of stone (or on the scroll of the Torah), God will write His Torah into their minds: "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jeremiah 31:33). The Messiah explains that this will happen when God pours out His Spirit upon them (Ezekiel II:19-20).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
The Sabbath and the Kingdom
For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day. (Exodus 35:2)
The Jewish observance of the Sabbath continues in the Messianic Era as a sign of the everlasting covenant between God and Israel (Exodus 31:16), but the holiness and blessing of the Sabbath day will not exclude the nations. Just as the Temple in Jerusalem is to become a house of prayer for all nations, the Sabbath will become a sanctuary in time for all of humanity. "From sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down" before the LORD (Isaiah 66:23).
The Sabbath day uniquely embodies the holiness, sanctity, and blessing of the Messianic Era by devoting an entire day to the LORD. Maimonides describes the Messianic Era in idyllic terms evocative of the seventh day and its pursuits:
In that time there will be neither hunger nor war, neither jealousy nor competition, but goodness will spread over everything. And all the delights will be as common as dust. And the whole world will have no other occupation, but only to know the LORD. And therefore Israel will be great sages and knowers of secret things, and they will attain a knowledge of their Creator as far as the power of man allows, as it is written [in Isaiah I1:9], "For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim 12:5)
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
A Song for the Sabbath Day
A sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. (Exodus 35:2)
The title "A Song for the Sabbath Day" prefaces Psalm 92, but rather than describing the Sabbath day, it describes the Messianic Era when the wicked are destroyed, the enemies of God perish, and workers of iniquity are scat-tered. The psalm isn't about the Sabbath, it's about the kingdom.
In the kingdom, the Davidic king will be anointed with fresh oil, and His prestige will rise like the horn of the wild ox. He will look down on his enemies and the evildoers who rise against him. He will utterly defeat them. Then the righteous will prosper and live long lives comparable to that of a palm tree or the towering cedars of Lebanon. In old age, they will yet retain the vigor and fertility of their youth. They will so regularly frequent the Holy Temple that they will become like fixtures in its courtyards. In that day, the world will observe the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous. Then everyone will acknowledge God's ultimate justice.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
New Song and the Ten-Stringed Harp
A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day ... With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, with resounding music upon the lyre. (Psalm 92:1-3)
Jewish eschatology reserves the ten-stringed harp mentioned in Psalm 92 for use in the age to come. One opinion suggests that the Levites in the Second Temple Era played harps of seven strings; in the Days of the Messiah, the harps will have eight strings (Psalm 6:1), but in the World to Come, the harps will have ten strings.
Some psalms associate the ten-stringed harp with the "New Song" (Shir Chadash, שיר חדש) that celebrates the final redemption (Psalm 33:2-3, 144:9).
The Bible mentions the New Song primarily in connection with the Day of the LORD, the judgment on the nations, and the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom (Psalm 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:I; Isaiah 42:10-13; Revelation 5:9, 14:3).
In the Bible, miraculous salvations and revelations inspire the utterance of a new song that spills forth as a type of prophetic oracle. The eschatological New Song (played on a ten-stringed harp) is also referred to as the "tenth song" because it's the tenth in a series that includes favorite Bible hits like Song at the Sea, Song of Moses, Song of Deborah, and Song of Songs. The idea is that the other nine songs belong to this current age, but the tenth song belongs to the age to come. Such songs come forth as prophetic utterances, and the accompanying music acts as a catalyst for spiritual inspiration and prophecy (I Samuel 10:5-6; 2 Kings 3:15). In the Messianic Era, the resounding music on the ten-stringed harp will provide the catalyst for the New Song and, ultimately, the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh:
The children of the exile are destined to say the tenth song at the time they are redeemed from exile [like pilgrims to Jerusalem] who go to appear before the LORD three times a year with varieties of music and the sound of the drum, to come up to the mountain of the LORD and to worship before the LORD, the Strength of Israel. (Song of Songs I:1, Targum)
Apocalyptic texts suggest soaring soundtracks of indescribable music for the Days of Messiah and the World to Come. They depict the voices of the righteous joining the melodies of the angelic choirs. In the book of Revelation, the 144,000 from the twelve tribes sing "a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song" except for them (Revelation 14:3). Likewise, the souls of the righteous martyrs who wait in heaven for the redemption hold "harps of God" and sing "the Song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb" (Revelation 15:2-3).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
House of the LORD
Take from among you a contribution to the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the LORD'S contribution: gold, silver, and bronze. (Exodus 35:5)
Moses told the children of Israel to raise a collection of materials necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle, but he did not require them to donate. Only those with "a willing heart" were allowed to contribute. Nevertheless, the people brought "much more than enough for the construction work" and continued to do so until Moses "issued a command, and a proclamation" prohibiting further contributions (Exodus 36:5-6).
After the War of Gog and Magog, the Jewish people spend seven years cleansing the land. During those years, the nations will be invited to contribute toward the construction of the Temple. Eager to participate in the privilege, they lavish "the wealth of all nations" until the glory of the Third Temple far exceeds that of the Second Temple, just as the magnificence of the Second exceeded that of the First (Haggai 2:7-9). The abundance that accumulates in Jerusalem creates a localized deflationary effect: gold becomes as common as bronze, silver as ordinary as iron, bronze as plentiful as wood, and iron as cheap as stone (Isaiah 60:17).
The nations also provide the King of Jerusalem with the best of their architects, designers, engineers, craftsmen, carpenters, quarrymen, stone-masons, laborers, blacksmiths, lapidaries, engravers, textile producers, weavers, embroiderers, artists, and tradesmen from every type of skill for the construction of the House of the God of Jacob. Indeed, the craftsmen compete for available positions like athletes competing for a spot in the Olympics. Their respective countries take enormous pride in sending a craftsman to Jerusalem.
The King of Jerusalem selects experts from among the Jewish people to oversee the entire project. He chooses men filled with the Holy Spirit as the Spirit once filled Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 35:31). For that matter, Bezalel and Oholiab are also available for consultation if necessary.
What about the ark of the covenant and the other holy furnishings (menorah, table, and golden altar)? Some believe that Jeremiah the prophet hid away the furnishings of the First Temple prior to the Babylonian siege. If that's the case, Jeremiah can reveal the location where he stashed them when he rises along with the righteous resurrected, but, in fact, he has already stated that there will be no ark of the covenant in the future Temple:
It shall be in those days... they will no longer say, "The ark of the covenant of the LORD." And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again." (Jeremiah 3:16)
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
The Ten Tribes Summary
The question of the ten lost tribes of Israel has intrigued readers of the Bible for centuries. When the biblical passages and historical references are examined carefully, a more coherent picture emerges regarding their fate. Rather than pointing to a mysterious hidden civilization somewhere in the world, the evidence suggests that the tribes were dispersed, partially absorbed into Judah, and eventually became integrated within the broader Jewish people, even though their precise tribal identities were largely lost over time.
The historical starting point for understanding the ten tribes is the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BCE. According to the biblical record, the Assyrian king deported the Israelites to various regions of his empire. Scripture states that the king of Assyria “carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes” (2 Kings 18:11; cf. 2 Kings 17:23). These locations correspond to areas of northeastern Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau. At this stage, the tribes were not yet “lost,” but rather scattered across specific known regions of the Assyrian Empire.
Even before the final fall of the northern kingdom, however, the biblical record indicates that many members of the northern tribes had already migrated south into the kingdom of Judah. During periods of religious reform and political instability, people from several tribes joined the southern kingdom. For example, during the reforms of King Asa, people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon gathered with Judah (2 Chronicles 15:9). Later, King Hezekiah invited the remnant of Israel to participate in the Passover celebration in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:1–11, 18). After the fall of Samaria, additional survivors fled south, and the land of Judah absorbed many of these refugees (2 Chronicles 31:1). As a result, by the time Judah itself eventually went into exile, the population of the southern kingdom already included descendants from multiple tribes.
When the Persian king Cyrus later permitted the exiles to return to the land, the decree applied broadly to the people of Israel who practiced the religion of Judea. During this period, the term “Jew” became a general designation for those belonging to the covenant people of Israel, regardless of specific tribal lineage (Esther 2:5; Esther 8:8, 17). Consequently, the returning community likely included individuals from many tribes, even if their exact genealogies were no longer widely recognized.
Evidence that members of the northern tribes still existed among the Jewish people can also be seen in the New Testament. Luke’s Gospel introduces Anna the prophetess, who is identified as belonging to the tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36). The apostle Paul likewise identifies himself as belonging to the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). Furthermore, the epistle of James opens with an address “to the twelve tribes in the dispersion” (James 1:1). This language indicates that the early Jewish community still understood itself as representing the full nation of Israel, even though most people could no longer identify their specific tribal heritage.
Over centuries of exile, migration, and intermarriage, the ability to trace exact tribal ancestry became increasingly difficult. While priestly and Levitical lineages were sometimes preserved due to their religious responsibilities, the genealogies of most tribes gradually became obscured. In this sense, the tribes became “lost” not because their descendants disappeared, but because their distinct tribal identities became indistinguishable within the broader Jewish population.
Nevertheless, the biblical prophets consistently promise a future reunification of all twelve tribes in the Messianic age. Ezekiel describes the symbolic joining of two sticks—one representing Judah and the other representing Joseph (Ephraim)—as a sign that God will unite the divided kingdoms into one nation under a single king (Ezekiel 37:15–22). Isaiah similarly foretells a future gathering in which the LORD will assemble both “the banished of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11–12), removing the historic rivalry between Ephraim and Judah (Isaiah 11:13). Jeremiah likewise promises a time when God will restore “the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah” and bring them back to the land given to their forefathers (Jeremiah 30:3). These prophecies envision a comprehensive restoration in which the divided tribes of Israel will once again become a unified people.
Later Jewish traditions attempted to explain the mysterious fate of the tribes by placing them in distant or hidden regions. Some apocalyptic writings suggested that they migrated to a faraway land called Arzareth, sometimes interpreted as “Otherland,” beyond the Euphrates River. Other traditions located them beyond the mythical River Sambatyon, whose violent currents supposedly prevented travel except on the Sabbath. While these stories reflect the enduring fascination with the tribes’ whereabouts, they belong largely to the realm of legend rather than historical evidence.
Taken together, the biblical and historical evidence suggests that the ten lost tribes were not entirely separated from the rest of Israel, nor did they vanish from history. Instead, many of their descendants were absorbed into the population of Judah, while others remained scattered across the Jewish diaspora. Over time, their tribal identities became obscured, leaving them “lost” primarily in the sense that their genealogies were forgotten. The prophets, however, look forward to a future restoration in which God will gather His people from the nations and reunite all twelve tribes in the land of Israel under the reign of the Messiah.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
The Coronation of the King: Understanding the Real Kingdom of God
The humble rabbi from Nazareth will be crowned King of Israel and will take His throne as ruler over the nations. This is not symbolic—it is real. It is a central component of biblical eschatology. It is the climax of world history—the inauguration of an age marked by peace, justice, and restoration. The kingdom of God will be established—here, on earth.
For many, this challenges common assumptions.
Ever heard someone ask, “If you died today, do you know for sure you would go to heaven?” That question reflects a widely held belief: that the ultimate destination is heaven or hell.
But what, then, do we do with all this language about a coronation in Jerusalem? Isn’t Jerusalem just symbolic? Aren’t we supposed to be in heaven?
Biblical eschatology tells a different story. The kingdom of God is not merely spiritual or metaphorical. It is not abstract or invisible. It is a real kingdom, with a real King, established on earth. Yeshua will return and reign as King over a physical kingdom—with laws, boundaries, and governance.
Yes, God works spiritually through His people—but that is not the same as the kingdom itself. The Scriptures are clear: the kingdom is not a metaphor. It is the restoration of Israel and the fulfillment of God’s promises through Messiah.
This perspective also reshapes how we understand salvation. Think about the Old Testament. When did Abraham “get saved”? When did Moses make a decision for faith in the way we describe today?
Those categories don’t appear in the same way. Instead, the focus was covenantal faithfulness and allegiance to God. When we say that Yeshua is the Messiah, we are saying He is the anointed King—the rightful heir to the throne of David. His reign will restore the monarchy and fulfill the promises of the covenants. So belief in Messiah is not merely intellectual agreement—it is allegiance.
The apostles called people not simply to “believe,” but to submit to the kingship of Yeshua—to become loyal citizens of His coming kingdom.
This helps us better understand passages like Romans 10:9. To confess “Jesus is Lord” is to declare Him as King—to enthrone Him in our lives now in anticipation of His future reign. Even the concept of apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3) makes more sense in this framework. The Greek word apostasia refers to rebellion or defection—like abandoning allegiance to a ruler. It is not merely a loss of belief—it is a turning away from the King.
So faith is allegiance. Faithfulness is loyalty. And discipleship is living now as citizens of a kingdom that is coming. We are, in a sense, a preview—a foretaste—of that future reality.
The same is true of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwelling within us is like a small-scale picture of the future return of the Shekhinah—the dwelling presence of God—once again filling Jerusalem. What we experience now is not the fullness, but a down payment—a glimpse of what is to come.
Just as the Tabernacle had to be prepared and consecrated, so must we. If we desire to be a dwelling place for God’s presence, we must surrender, be made holy, and walk in obedience to the King. Our lives, then, should reflect the coming reality of the kingdom. And let’s be honest—this is not that kingdom. If this were the kingdom, why do we still suffer? Why does the world remain broken? Why is the knowledge of the Lord not yet filling the earth?
No—this is not the kingdom. But it is coming. And the fact that it has not yet come is good news—it means there is still time. Time to repent. Time to prepare. Time to make disciples. So let’s use it well.
References
This lesson is adapted from a video lesson in The End of Days, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.