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TWO HOUSES AND THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

When SOME people hear the message about the restoration of both houses of Israel and haven't taken the time to fully study and understand it, they sometimes make the comment, 'Well, Jesus didn't emphasize it so it is not an important issue'. I would like to write this article to dispel this myth (actually point out some spiritual blindness so that we can discern and understand what we read in the Gospels).

THE ROLE OF THE MESSIAH TO REUNITE BOTH HOUSES OF ISRAEL

According to Isaiah 49:5-6, it was seen as a PRIMARY function
of the Messiah to reunite both houses of Israel. In Isaiah 49:1, 5-6 it
is written:
KJV Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

KJV Isaiah 49:5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

KJV Isaiah 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth

In Isaiah 49:6 it tells us that the ''servant of the Lord'' in Isaiah 49:1 would raise up the tribes of Jacob.

Messiah was born to rule over a reunited and restored house of Jacob forever. In Luke 1:33 it is written:

KJV Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

For this reason, the disciples asked the Messiah in Acts 1:6 if He was going to restore the Kingdom to Israel at that time as it is written:

KJV Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

MESSIAH TEACHES THE TWO HOUSES IN JOHN 10

In John 10, Messiah explained that in order to bring the restoration of both houses of Israel, He would have to die first.

In John 10:11 it is written:

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

By saying that He is the''Good Shepherd'', Messiah is making an allusion to Ezekiel 34:11-12 as it is written:

KJV Ezekiel 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

KJV Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

The FULLNESS of this restoration (the death of Messiah on the tree only initiated the process) is when both house of Israel return to the ''mountains of Israel'' (Ezekiel 34:13) in the ''dark and cloudy day'' (Ezekiel 34:12). In Ezekiel 34:13 it is written:

KJV Ezekiel 34:13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their OWN LAND, and feed them upon the MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

The ''mountains of Israel'' is the West Bank. In Jeremiah 30:1-7 and Ezekiel 34:12 we are told that this event will take place during the tribulation period or Jacob's trouble.

In John 10, Messiah explains that he has TWO SHEEPFOLDS (houses). In John 10:16 it is written:

KJV John 10:16 And OTHER SHEEP I HAVE, which are NOT of THIS FOLD:
(the Jewish fold of the house of Judah) them also (the other fold or the house of Israel) I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be ONE FOLD , and ONE SHEPHERD.

The ''one fold'' and ''one shepherd'' is a reference to a restored and reunited sheepfold of Ephraim and Judah coming together in Messiah.
Messiah is making an allusion to Hosea 1:11, Ezekiel 34:26-27 and Ezekiel 37:24 as it is written:

JV Hosea 1:11 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.

KJV Ezekiel 34:23 And I will set up ONE SHEPHERD over THEM, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

KJV Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant (a term for the Messiah) shall be king over THEM; and they all shall have ONE SHEPHERD: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

In Jeremiah 50:17, both houses of Israel are called, ''scattered or lost sheep'' as it is written:

KJV Jeremiah 50:17 Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

Assyria took the Northern Kingdom (house of Israel) captive and Babylon took the Southern Kingdom (house of Judah) captive.

When the Messiah spoke about this ''other sheepfold'' which He said that He needed to lay down His life to bring them into the sheepfold, there was a division among the Jewish because of this saying and those who disagreed with this saying said that the Messiah had a devil (or was teaching a cultic belief). In John 10:19-20 it is written:

KJV John 10:19 There was a DIVISION therefore again among the JEWS for these sayings.

KJV John 10:20 And many of them said, He hath a DEVIL, and is mad; why hear ye him?

There is nothing new under the sun (Eccl 1:9). Even today, I got an e-mail note from a ''Messianic Jew'' who said that the belief in the restoration of both houses of Israel was ''cultic''. When you get these false accusations, it is reassuring to know that the same thing was said to Messiah when He taught on the restoration of both houses of Israel.

In Psalm 80, we are told that it would be the house of Joseph who would identify with the good shepherd Messiah (as a corporate house).
In Psalm 80:1 it is written:

KJV Psalm 80:1 {To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph.} Give ear, O SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL, thou that leadest JOSEPH like a FLOCK; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

A REFERENCE TO THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH IN JOHN 7

In John 7:33-34, the Messiah makes the following statement:

KJV John 7:33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

KJV John 7:34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

Therefore, Messiah said that he would ''go somewhere'' that they (the Jews) could not come. So the Jews that heard this saying replied:

KJV John 7:35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the DISPERSED among the GENTILES, and teach the Gentiles?

The ''pure Gentiles'' were NEVER ''dispersed''. It is the house of Israel (Ephraim / Northern Kingdom) who were ''dispersed'' into the nations. So, since Messiah said that He was going to go to a place which the Jews couldn't come, the Jews thought that Messiah might be referring to the ''lost'' and ''dispersed Gentiles'' (Northern Kingdom) and teach these ''Gentiles'' which is context in this verse is referring to the Ten Lost Tribes or the Northern Kingdom in exile.

MESSIAH DIES TO REDEEM THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH IN JOHN 11

KJV John 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,KJV John 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

KJV John 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

The ''nation'' that Caiaphas was referring to was the house of Judah or the Jewish nation.

Then, in John 11:52 it tells us that Messiah is going to die for ''another nation'' who is ''scattered abroad'' as it is written:

KJV John 11:52 And NOT for THAT NATION ONLY (the Jewish nation or the house of Judah), but that also he should GATHER TOGETHER in one the children of God that were SCATTERED ABROAD.

This ''other nation'' which was ''scattered abroad'' who is not the Jewish people is the house of Israel / Ephraim / the house of Joseph or the Northern Kingdom in exile.

KJV John 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

After this event, Messiah goes into a city called EPHRAIM.

THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON IN LUKE 15

The parable of the prodigal son is a story of THE prodigal son (Ephraim) who wastes the inheritance that is his and feeds on swine (departs from Torah) and there comes a point in time when He realizes the error of His ways (of departing from Torah) when there is a famine in the land (Amos 8:11) which the rabbis teach is a departure from Torah and returns to the family. When the younger son (Ephraim) returns to the family, the older son (Judah) is VERY upset with the way that the Father welcomes Ephraim back into the family.

Why did the Messiah teach in parables. In Matthew 13:35 it is written:

KJV Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

KJV Matthew 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 13:35 quotes from Psalm 78:2. If we read Psalm 78:2 in context by reading verse 1 and verse 3, we can gain additional insight to the parables that the Messiah taught. In Psalm 78:1-3 it is written:

KJV Psalm 78:1 {Maschil of Asaph.} Give ear, O my people, to my TORAH:
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

KJV Psalm 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

KJV Psalm 78:3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Notice that the parables that Yeshua / Jesus taught (Psalm 78:2 and Matthew 13:35) ,
are parables which OUR FATHERS HAVE TOLD US.

Therefore, the parable of the prodical son is a parable that OUR FATHERS HAVE TOLD US. It is an ANCIENT teaching of the rabbis that Ephraim and Judah would be reunited and the Ephraim was a ''prodigal son'' because he departed from Torah. In Luke 15:11 it is written:

KJV Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

The two sons are Ephraim and Judah. Ephraim is called a son in Jeremiah 31:20.

KJV Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still:
therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

It was prophecied that Ephraim would be extended mercy. This mercy comes through the Messiah.

KJV Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

Ephraim is the younger son.

The inheritance of Judah and Ephraim was also divided. Ephraim was given the birthright and Judah was given the scepter. In I Chronicles 5:1-2 it is written:

KJV 1 Chronicles 5:1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel,
(for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

KJV 1 Chronicles 5:2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's

Continuing with the parable of the prodigal son:

KJV Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

''riotous living'' is a polite way of saying what the prophets of Israel said was harlotry and whoredom.

KJV Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

This famine in mentioned in Amos 8:11 as it is written:

KJV Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

KJV Luke 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

The Bible says that he who joins himself to a harlot (the citizen of that country) becomes one with the harlot. In I Corinthians 6:19 it is written:

KJV 1 Corinthians 6:16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

The God of Israel told Hosea to marry a whore to symbolize the whoredom of the Northern Kingdom. In Hosea 1:2 it is written:

KJV Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

When joining himself to be a ''citizen of that country'', the younger son began to feed on swine. This is a Torah way of saying that the younger son had departed from Torah as far as he could go.

In the book of Hosea 9:3, Ephraim was told that he would feed on swine (unclean food).

KJV Hosea 9:3 They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

KJV Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

The younger son began to starve because he was not being taught the Torah. The teachings of Torah is likened unto spiritual food.

Even today, many who are searching to understand their Hebraic heritage in Messiah are saying, 'We are just not being fed in our churches'. This is what is prophecied to happen to the younger son.

KJV Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

The younger son realizes that he had departed from Torah and seeks to repent for doing so. When he does, the Father embraces him with open arms.

KJV Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

The Father decides to celebrate by having a wedding party.

KJV Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

The ''best robe'' and a ''ring on his hand'' is a reference to wedding attire.

KJV Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

The younger son was LOST. This is an allusion to Ephraim who is referred to as the Ten LOST tribes.

The older son is simply not aware of what is happening to the younger son and had to seek and inquire.

KJV Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

KJV Luke 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

When the older son (Judah) realized that the younger son (Ephraim) had come home and rejoined the family and the Father gave him a great wedding party, the older son (Judah) was upset with the Father.

KJV Luke 15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

KJV Luke 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

As evidence that the younger son had returned to Torah, the older son makes this comment.

KJV Luke 15:29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time THY COMMANDMENT: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

The older son (Judah) tells the Father that he has been keeping Torah all this time and never went after harlots (departed from Torah) yet the Father never gave him a large wedding party.

KJV Luke 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

The Father replies that the younger son (Ephraim) was LOST (a reference to the Ten LOST tribes) but has now been found and has returned to the family fold.

KJV Luke 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

MESSIAH, THE TWO HOUSES AND THE GALILEE

Why did Messiah spend so much time teaching in the Galilee?

The Northern Kingdom was taken captive in part from the land of the Galilee. Specifically, the Galilee was referred to as the land of Naphtali.
In II Kings 15:29 it is written:

KJV 2 Kings 15:29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

It was prophecied that the land of the Galilee would see a ''great light''. This ''great light'' is the Messiah. In Isaiah 9:1-2 it is written:

KJV Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

KJV Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

At the begining of the ministry of the Messiah, he taught in the Galilee.

KJV Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

KJV Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

KJV Matthew 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

KJV Matthew 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

KJV Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

The Messiah was well received in the Galilee.

KJV Mark 1:28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

The ''Galilee of the Gentiles'' is a reference to the land of the tribes of the Northern Kingdom who when they assimilated into the nations of the world became ''Gentiles''

It was in the Galilee that Jesus called ''fisherman'' to be his disciples.K

KJV Matthew 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

Ephraim and Manesseh were blessed to ''multiply like fish'' in the midst of the earth. In Genesis 48:16 it is written:

KJV Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

In the Hebrew in Genesis 48:16, it says ''multiply as fish'' in the earth.

Therefore, in order to get these ''lost sheep'' or ''lost fish'' who were scattered in the nations, the Messiah calls disciples from the ''Galilee of the nations'' to be ''fishers of men''

KJV Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

In Ezekiel 34:31, the sheep of the house of Israel are called ''men'' as it is written:

KJV Ezekiel 34:31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are MEN,
and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

Therefore, Messiah was making an allusion to his fisherman disciples that he would ultimately train them and call them to ''fish'' the ''men'' among the nations which is an allusion to the Ephraim and Manesseh in Genesis 48:16 and the whole house of Israel in Ezekiel 34:31 who are called ''men''. The rabbis have a lot of commentary regarding the house of Jacob being called ''men'' (Adam) (Ezekiel 34:31).

When Messiah arose from the dead, he went to the Galilee.
In Matthew 26:32 it is written:

KJV Matthew 26:32 But after I am risen again,
I will go before you into Galilee.

KJV Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

KJV Matthew 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

KJV Matthew 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

KJV Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

KJV Matthew 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

When Yeshua/Jesus was asked about the restoration of both houses of Israel in Acts 1:6, he spoke to men of Galilee as it is written:

KJV Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

KJV Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

KJV Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

So why was so much of Messiah's ministry in the Galilee? Why does he mention going to the Galilee after his resurrection? Why after Messiah was asked about when the restoration of both houses of Israel would take place that he told them to preach this message into the ''end of the earth''? Because it was a Jewish understanding that the Messiah's ministry would be in Galilee in the land of JOSEPH and from there the ministry would go into all the nations.

Regarding the territory of Joseph, the Zohar, the chief work of the Kabbalah, has this to say:

In the time of the resurrection of the dead, many camps will arise in Land of the Galil, because that is where the Messiah is going to be first revealed, since it is part of Joseph's territory. It will be the first place to be destroyed. It will begin there ahead of all other places, and then spread to the nations. (Zohar, Vayakhel 220a)

I pray that some of these insights in the teachings, the sayings, the parables and the ministry of the Messiah in the Gospels will allow you to better understanding that the restoration of both houses of Israel is a PRIMARY role and function of the Messiah both in His first coming (to initiate the restoration) and in His second coming (to finish the restoration and rule and reign with a redeemed house of Jacob during the Messianic Era).

In order to understand the COMPLETE redemptive plan of the God of Israel for His people through the person of Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah it is VITAL that you begin to study and understand the message of the restoration of both houses of Israel.

For those of you who would like to study this issue in greater detail, I wrote a book on the subject entitled, ''Restoring the Two House of Israel''. The cost of this book (14 chapters and 544 pages) for a single issue copy is $25 postage paid. Two books are $35 postage paid and if you order six or more copies for group study, the books are $12 each plus shipping. When you order, please make your check out to me (Eddie Chumney) and send to:

Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
PO Box 81
Strasburg, Ohio 44680

May God continue to bless you in your studies

Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l

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