What happened to Israel's northern tribes? Where are they today? Does the Bible give us any clues regarding their fate?
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This essay is part 1 in a 17-part series on the ten "lost" tribes of Israel. These
seventeen essays are directed mostly to people who have been subjected to Anglo-Israelism
(British Israelism), but they can be beneficial even for others.
This present part is an overview on the lost ten tribes of Israel in prophecy. It considers, in general terms, these questions: What happened to Israel's northern tribes? Where are they today? Does the Bible give us any clues regarding their fate? It will be shown that the Bible actually does provide a number of clues regarding what the state of those tribes would be, in our day.
Links to the other parts in this series can be found under the heading "Tribes" on the index-page keyw-t4.htm. Some of them are mentioned even in the "Additional reading" section towards the end of this essay.
The southern tribes of Israel came to be called "Judah" (whence "Jews") and had Jerusalem as their capital. The ten northern tribes were called "Israel" and had Samaria as their capital. Also: When the northern tribes still lived in the land of Israel, those two nations (Israel and Judah) were often at war with each other. Their fates differ somewhat, both in history and in prophecy. When the northern tribes were expelled from their land and went into dispersion, they became the ten "lost" tribes. That happened more than 2700 years ago.
But, what happened to Israel's northern tribes? Where are they today? Does the Bible give us any clues regarding their fate? More exactly, where are their descendants, in our day? Is it possible to identify and find them in some way? Can one point out the lost ten tribes on a map? This essay considers what there is to learn about the lost ten tribes of Israel in prophecy. There are a number of bible-passages that do provide clues regarding what the fate of those tribes was to be.
Anglo-Israelist preachers claim that the Bible says that those tribes supposedly would be rich, blessed, powerful, many in number and "a people of the Bible", in our day. Those preachers also talk about "inheritance", "birthright" and "sceptre" (rulership). But, is that true? Does the Bible really say that? Below, it will be shown what the Bible actually says.
Let us first note that Genesis 26:4 records how the Lord promised Isaac that his descendants would at some time be many, "as the stars of heaven":
Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. 2 And LORD appeared to him, and said, Do not go down into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee. For to thee, and to thy seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham thy father. 4 And I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give to thy seed all these lands, and in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed (ACV)
Here, it is important to note that the promise recorded in Genesis 26:4 was fulfilled a long time ago, already before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. Isaac's descendants did multiply and became numerous. Commenting that, Moses said to the Israelites:
Deuteronomy 1:10 LORD your God has multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. (ACV)
Deuteronomy 10:22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt, in souls, seventy. And now LORD thy God has made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude. (ACV)
But, that was regarding how the tribes of Israel were, back in Moses' day. The thing to find out here is what the Bible says how they would be faring, after they became "the lost tribes of Israel", and also in our day.
Let us read what the Lord said, through Moses, regarding that matter:
Deuteronomy 28:62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou did not hearken to the voice of LORD thy God. 63 And it shall come to pass, that, as LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so LORD will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you. And ye shall be plucked from off the land where thou go in to possess it. 64 And LORD will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. And there thou shall serve other gods, which thou have not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone. (ACV)
That was a warning regarding how things would go for Israel, if they were not faithful to the Lord. As things went, they were not faithful, and those things did come upon them. That happened when they were drive into exile. In the case of the ten tribes who in the days of Joshua settled in the northern part of the Promised Land, that exile took place (began) for more than 2700 years ago.
Please note the words "few in number" in Deuteronomy 28:62; those words are a clue. When Moses said those things, the Israelites were still many, "as the stars of heaven"; see Deuteronomy 1:10, quoted above. But, they were told how things would go in the end (if they were not faithful – and they were not): They would be driven out of the land they had been given, Canaan, and they would become few in number.
See also Deuteronomy 28:63, "as Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Lord will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you". And again, that warning prophecy was fulfilled – more than 2700 years ago. Deuteronomy 28:62-64 is fulfilled prophecy. It is not about things in our day.
Yes, there is a promise that in the future, those tribes will be multiplied again. But that has not happened yet but is still future. At a future time that is yet to come, the tribes of Israel will be gathered and be put to live in their one and only earthly Promised Land. But again, that has not happened yet.
Those who study the Bible with care, will find that the Anglo-Israelist claims about the Israelites supposedly being very numerous today, have no basis in the Bible. Also: There are not (on the earthly level) several "Promised Lands" as some Anglo-Israelist preachers want people to believe, but only one, the one from which the tribes were driven into exile.
A note: Genesis 26:4 was quoted above. The singular "Seed" who is mentioned in the last part of Genesis 26:4, "and in your Seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed", is Jesus and not anyone or anything else. But, Anglo-Israelist preachers twist even that matter. That is so, also in regard to Genesis 22:17 which says, "and your Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies". Even that refers to Jesus. The essay ey03c.htm has more on that subject.
There is a clear promise that in the future, the tribes of Israel will be gathered and taken to the earthly Promised Land, and will after that be blessed again. But, those blessings are tied to that land; it is there they will be given. And again: There is only one Promised Land on the earthly level, not two or more. Only one, the land of Canaan, the land which even today is called Israel.
Those who study the Bible more carefully, will find that that book is quite clear regarding that matter. The dispersed 10 tribes of Israel are not prophesied to be blessed or rich today. The Bible is quite clear regarding the timing of their restoration and renewed blessing. Those things will only happen after the tribes of Israel have returned to the Lord and made a new covenant with him. Those things will only happen in the days of Jesus' return. The essay ey06b.htm has more on this.
A note: Some Anglo-Israelist preachers have a dogma about "2520 years" in connection with the blessing-matter. That dogma has to do with a misinterpreted word in Leviticus 26, in a certain English bible-version. The essay ey05c.htm has more on that subject and shows that the "2520 years" dogma has no basis in the Bible, and that the word which those preachers build their dogmas on, is not even found in the Hebrew text of Leviticus 26.
No, the Bible does not say anything of that kind. Instead, the Scriptures tell us that they were not to be great at this time. This is what was prophesied regarding how the Israelites would be during their dispersion (please note that they still remain dispersed):
Deuteronomy 28:58 If thou will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou may fear this glorious and fearful name, LORD thy GOD, 59 then LORD will make thy calamities extraordinary, and the calamities of thy seed, even great calamities, and of long continuance, and severe sicknesses, and of long continuance. 60 And he will bring upon thee again all the diseases of Egypt, which thou were afraid of, and they shall cling to thee. 61 Also every sickness, and every calamity, which is not written in the book of this law, them LORD will bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou did not hearken to the voice of LORD thy God. 63 And it shall come to pass, that, as LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so LORD will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you. And ye shall be plucked from off the land where thou go in to possess it. 64 And LORD will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. And there thou shall serve other gods, which thou have not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone. 65 And among these nations thou shall find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot, but LORD will give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul. 66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shall fear night and day, and shall have no assurance of thy life. 67 In the morning thou shall say, Would it were evening! and at evening thou shall say, Would it were morning! for the fear of thy heart which thou shall fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shall see. (ACV)
Please note that all those things came upon those tribes, more than 2700 years ago, and that they still remain in that state. Please also note that they were not to be a nation or nations of their own, at this time. They were to be (and are) scattered among (within) the other nations of this world, without being a nation or nations and without having a country or countries of their own. They have no power or pride today. Instead, their state is this: "You shall find no rest, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul" (Deuteronomy 28:65, NASB-77). That is: Their prophesied state is that of a wandering people without a land of their own, an ethnic group or several ethnic groups who are persecuted and harassed most of the time.
The essay ey02c.htm shows when Israel's "pride" actually was broken (that is past time, more than 2700 years ago). The essay ey03c.htm takes a closer look at the "gates" dogma which some Anglo-Israelist preachers promulgate.
A note, for clarity: "Jacob" and "Israel" are synonyms. The Lord gave Jacob the son of Isaac the name "Israel"; see Genesis 32:28. Jacob's descendants formed the nation of Israel ("the house of Israel"), also called Jacob, "the house of Jacob", and so on. And, as was mentioned above, after Solomon's reign, Israel became divided into two nations. The southern tribes of Israel came to be called "Judah" (or "Jews") and had Jerusalem as their capital. The ten northern tribes were called "Israel" and had Samaria as their capital. When those northern tribes were expelled from the land of Israel and went into dispersion, they became the ten "lost" tribes.
One common Anglo-Israelist dogma is that the lost ten tribes of Israel supposedly would be strong today, but that the Lord would then more or less annihilate them, in the "end time". They base that dogma on a twisted interpretation of a mistranslated verse taken out of its context, in Jeremiah 30.
However, anyone who reads all of Jeremiah 30, will easily see who really will be punished and more or less destroyed in the "end time", while Israel at the same time will be saved and gathered.
Again: The ten lost tribes still remain in their dispersion today. In the future, they will be restored; that is what Jeremiah 30 talks about:
Jeremiah 30:3 '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.'" (NASB-77)
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob's adversary [tsarah]. 8 For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and will burst your bonds. And strangers shall no more rule over him, 9 but they shall serve the Lord their Mighty one and David their king whom I will raise up to them. (Author's tr.)
Jeremiah 30:11 For with thee am I, An affirmation of Jehovah—to save thee, For I make an end of all the nations Whither I have scattered thee, Only, of thee I do not make an end, And I have chastised thee in judgment, And do not entirely acquit thee. (YLT)
Point: Jeremiah 30 talks about the future time when all the tribes of Israel finally will be gathered and taken to their one and only earthly Promised Land. At that same time, the other nations (those who have troubled the Israelites) will be punished and more or less annihilated.
The essay ey08c.htm has more on Jeremiah 30 and on the word tsarah, feminine of tsar, "enemy", "adversary", which occurs in verse 7.
Anglo-Israelist preachers claim that one supposedly can find the ten "lost" tribes of Israel, simply by finding out what country prints the greatest number of bibles. But, that dogma of theirs has nothing to do with reality. This is what the Bible says regarding how those tribes would be during their dispersion, regarding religion:
Deuteronomy 28:63 And it shall come to pass, that, as LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so LORD will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you. And ye shall be plucked from off the land where thou go in to possess it. 64 And LORD will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. And there thou shall serve other gods, which thou have not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone. (ACV)
Simply: They would not even care about the Bible. Even this is a clue the Bible gives regarding the lost tribes.
Again, please note that the lost 10 tribes do not have a country of their own in our day. They still remain dispersed, "from one end of the Earth to the other", within (among, inside) the other nations of this world. Also: As of now, they have no covenant or special relationship with the Lord. The Bible shows that the Lord divorced the ten northern tribes, and they became Lo-ammiy and Lo-ruchamah (translated, "Not my people" and "No mercy"). (See Hosea 1:1-9 for more on those names.) They still remain in that state, and will continue so, to the day when they, as a restored physical nation, make a new covenant with the Lord. That has not happened yet, but is an event of the future.
In short: Today, those dispersed tribes do not serve the Lord, nor are they in any way a "people of the Bible".
Anglo-Israelist preachers claim that the Anglo-Saxon peoples supposedly are "Israel", its lost tribes. In connection with that dogma they have another one, about a supposed blessing for those tribes in our day. Also, they often talk about "inheritance", "birthright" and even "sceptre" (that is, rulership or a kingly line). Their claim is that the Lord supposedly gave the whole world to the Anglo-Saxon people, as an "inheritance", and that the queen of England supposedly sits on "David's throne". They often talk about "Judah's sceptre and Joseph's birthright".
Those who really want to know the facts, can easily find out how baseless those dogmas are. The following essays look at certain parts of them:
The essay ey11b.htm considers who the peoples of north-western Europe (and their American relatives) really are. (A note: They are mostly Germanic, including the Angles, Saxons and Jutes who originally came from Germany.)
The essay ey12b.htm looks at the "throne of David" dogma and shows how the Bible makes it clear that it is Jesus who has that "throne" today (but he does not rule here on Earth right now) and that since ancient times, the tribes of Israel have been "a long time without a king" and continue so, just as Hosea 3:4 and Ezekiel 21:27 make clear. (A note: Ezekiel 21:27 states that Israel's kingly line would be broken, but some Anglo-Israelist preachers twist even that passage. The essays ey12b.htm and ey15c.htm have more on this.)
The essay ey04b.htm shows that the "inheritance" promised to Jacob, was the land of Canaan. Please note: Not any other land. That essay also shows what Joseph's "birthright" really was. Anglo-Israelism twists that matter, but the facts are as follows. In Jacob's day, when a man died and his property was divided among his children, his first-born received a portion twice as big as the other children. Thus, if a man had twelve sons, his property was divided into thirteen parts, of which the first-born received two while the others received only one.
When it comes to Jacob, things were a bit special. Reuben was the first-born, but the right of the first-born was taken away from him, and was given to Joseph instead. Thus it came to be that Joseph (that is, his descendants, the tribe called Joseph) got two of the thirteen lots into which Jacob's inheritance was divided. (The inheritance consisted of land – the land of Canaan.) However, the descendants of Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh had to divide Joseph's double portion (of land) between themselves. Thus even the tribes Ephraim and Manasseh received only one portion of land each, just as the tribes descending from Jacob's other sons did.
It is important to understand that the inheritance which Jacob's (Israel's) descendants received, was the Promised Land – the land which the Lord had promised to Jacob. That is, the land of Canaan, not any other land. The essay ey04b.htm has more on this.
Both the Bible and the facts of history make it clear that today, the ten northern tribes of Israel still remain in the dispersion into which they were sent for more than 2700 years ago. They are not powerful, and they do not have a country of their own. They are an ethnic group (or several ethnic groups) who are troubled and persecuted. Also, the Bible says that they would serve idols and not the Lord.
Regarding their inheritance and blessing: They will receive them back in due time, but that is still a matter of the future. They must first make a new covenant with the Lord, in order to become restored and blessed again. As to the "line of David" matter, the Anglo-Israelist dogma about that matter is really much more sinister than most people could even imagine, but that matter is too large to be included here. The essays ey12b.htm and ey15c.htm have more on that subject.
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A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
For a full list of the seventeen essays in this "tribes" series, look under the heading "Tribes" on the index-page keyw-t4.htm.
Genesis 22:17, "And your Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies". What does that mean? → ey03c.htm
Look also under the heading "Tribes" on the index-page keyw-t4.htm.
When will the lost ten tribes of Israel be restored and blessed again? What about the "2520 years" that some talk about? → ey06b.htm
Gentiles, pagans and heathen or heathens – what do those words mean? This exposition makes it plain and clear what the concepts "gentile", "pagan" and "heathen" actually refer to, in the Bible. → eg01c.htm
Leviticus 26 and the translation "seven times". What does the Hebrew word sheba in Leviticus 26:16, 18, 21, 24 and 28 really mean and refer to? → ey05c.htm
How to understand the Bible. Easy keys to interpreting and understanding Scripture in a better and deeper way, by avoiding certain fundamental but common mistakes and errors in bible study. These vital keys are really the basics for objective bible study. Knowing these keys will make many things easier to interpret and comprehend, and one will see several central matters in the Bible from a new and different perspective, especially in connection with the Gospels and the Epistles. → eg02c.htm
Leviticus 26:19, "And I will break the pride of your power". When did that happen? How and when was the pride of the tribes of Israel broken? Or, does that refer to some still future event, as some have claimed? → ey02c.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
Jeremiah 30:7, "the time of Jacob's trouble". What does chapter 30 in the book of Jeremiah really mean and refer to? → ey08c.htm
Many people wonder, why does God allow evil, sickness, pain, war and suffering? What is the biblical answer – does the Bible explain that matter, or in some way make it understandable? → ew01b.htm
The ten lost tribes of Israel – did they move into Europe? Who are the north-west European peoples of our day? → ey11b.htm
The identity and timing of the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7, and the first-fruits or virgins of Revelation 14:1-4 – who those groups really are, and when they came or come into existence. → et03c.htm
The line of David the king of Israel – is it still ruling somewhere on Earth, with a mortal king on the throne? → ey12b.htm
What is the biblical teaching regarding the great tribulation? When is it, and what is it like? Who are subjected to it, and who are allowed to escape from it, to a place of safety? Also: Does Matthew 24 point to the future, the "end time", or to the events of the first century, or to both times? What do the Scriptures in actual fact say about that subject? → et04c.htm
The tribe of Dan of Israel – did the Danites travel to Greece and Ireland, as some have claimed? What about Denmark? → ey15c.htm
Covenant signs, including the sign of the New Covenant which shows who really are God's people. The Old Covenant's sign was the circumcision of males. What is the New Covenant's sign, seal or token? → ec09b.htm
The meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias. Also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi? → eg07b.htm
On Jacob's birthright, and that of Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Also: What did the concept "birthright" mean and refer to, in ancient times? → ey04b.htm
The origin and meaning of the word "church". → eg06b.htm
Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you". What did Jesus mean? How were the disciples to go about "seeking the Kingdom"? Also, what did the expression "all these things" really refer to, and when and where were those things to be "added" to those disciples? → eo10d.htm
On Jesus' teaching regarding "the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" or "the keys of the Reign of Heaven". Bible study notes on Matthew 16 verse 19, with context. What did the word "keys" depict or symbolise? What is the interpretation of that passage – what was it that Jesus was saying to his disciples? Also, a general overview and comments on the subject of "binding and loosing". → eb08c.htm
What is the Kingdom of God? Where is it located? Does it exist already, or is it only going to be established in the future? Or, is it only something "in the hearts of men" as some have claimed, quoting the translation "within you" in Luke 17:21? → eo01b.htm
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