The Alleged LOST TEN TRIBES Of Israel


There have been several misguided Biblical Theologians of late who have insisted on making a fuss over whether or not ALL 12 Tribes of Israel were literally 'REPRESENTED' as National Israel at the time of Jesus' ministry.  The following Scriptures should put to rest any and all claims that inaccurately suggests that they did not.

After the breakup of national Israel as a direct result of the repugnant sins of King Solomon (1 Kings 22:31), national Israel became divided into two Houses - the southern House of Judah and the northern House of Israel.

1 Kings 11:31 (KJV)
31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:

As the argument for the LOST TEN TRIBES goes, following the capture and captivity of the 10 northern Tribes of Israel (House of Israel) by the Assyrian Empire, it is suggested that when allowed to return to their homeland Israel, the House of Israel chose not to return, but subsequently became LOST throughout Europe and the rest of the world, which resulted in their LOST IDENTITIES.  To this end, according to the proponents of this lost identity theology the House of Israel were therefore NOT represented during the ministry of Jesus - ONLY the House of Judah (the Jews).  So to make a long story short there was NO national representation of all 12 Tribes during the Ministry of Jesus.

However, as stated above the following Scriptures shed overwhelming light on the FACT that the House of Israel WAS indeed represented (all of national Israel) during the Ministry of Jesus.

Matthew 15:24 (KJV)
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

You will notice in the above Passage that Jesus declared that He was ONLY sent to the Lost Sheep (lost souls and NOT lost identities) of the House of Israel, meaning that His message of the Gospel according to the Abrahamic Covenant was to be given to the Jews FIRST (national Israel's right of first refusal), and is restated by Jesus Himself in Jn. 4:22 and also by Apostle Paul in Rom. 1:16.  Therefore, if the proponents of the Lost 10 Tribes are correct and we should define the House of Israel as they suggest, which is only to include the Lost 10 Tribes and NOT the House of Judah - Jews, then this poses a serious conflict between what they suggest and what Jesus actually reveals in the two Passages below.  Thus, if they are correct, then which of the two Houses did Jesus actually come to first - the House of Israel or the House of Judah - the Jews?  Common sense teaches us that this notion is baseless and that Jesus came to BOTH Houses of Jacob/Israel - the House of Israel and the House of Judah (National Israel).

John 4:22 (KJV)
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Romans 1:16 (KJV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Meanwhile, if we once again assume what the preponderates of the Lost 10 Tribes suggest, and that the Israel of Romans chpt. 11 pertains to the House of Israel (not the House of Judah/Jews) as paralleled in 1 Kings 19:10, & 18 - the northern Kingdom House of Israel, we see that God reserved to Himself even at that time of the Prophet Elijah, Seven-Thousand of the House of Israel, whom Apostle Paul calls the Seven-Thousand 'elect AND remnant' of God (Rom. 11:4-5, 7), and that (elect/remnant) existed in his day, then are these ELECT/REMNANT of God directly applicable to those who would have represented the 10 Tribes of Israel during the Ministry Jesus?   

1 Kings 19:10 (KJV)
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

1 Kings 19:18 (KJV)
18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Romans 11:4 (KJV)
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

Romans 11:5 (KJV)
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Romans 11:7 (KJV)
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

Thus, if God had Seven-Thousand from the northern Kingdom House of Israel that He had personally CHOSEN for Himself, by His own divine favor (grace) in Elijah's day, and a REMNANT He had also CHOSEN in Paul's day for Himself, of the House of Israel (the 10 Tribes) - did these same CHOSEN exist in Jesus' day.  Common sense would once again teach us that they did.

Going forward, if the 10 Tribes of Israel were indeed LOST then how would Apostle James have known where to have addressed his letters to, when he sent them to ALL 12 Tribes of Israel scattered abroad - He knew exactly where they were located?

James 1:1 (KJV)
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

The Apostle Paul was also quite knowledgeable of their whereabouts. As such, when Paul stood in judgment before Festus and King Agrippa, he declared that he had lived the life of a strict Pharisee. "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come" (Acts 26:6,7).

Moreover, in Acts. 5:21 we see the CHILDREN of ISRAEL, defined with respect to the other noted Passages below, ALSO comprising the Senate (Sanhedrin) in Jerusalem, which could be noting less than OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION of ALL 12 Tribes, shortly following the Ministry and Crucifixion of Jesus.

Acts 5:21 (KJV)
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the SENATE of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Revelation 7:4 (KJV)
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Revelation 7:5 (KJV)
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

Revelation 7:6 (KJV)
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

Revelation 7:7 (KJV)
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

Revelation 7:8 (KJV)
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

Moreover, Jeremiah the Prophet prophesied in Jer. 31:31 that the days would come when God (through Jesus and His Cross) would make a NEW COVENANT with BOTH the House of Israel and the House of Judah, which was also echoed by Apostle Paul in Hebrews 8:8. 

Jeremiah 31:31 (KJV)
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Hebrews 8:8 (KJV)
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

Therefore, with the Old Covenant FULFILLED at the Cross, Jesus brought New Life and a New Beginning for both the Children of Israel and the Gentiles alike.  Therefore, ALL past SINS and infractions were erased at the Cross for both the Jew and Gentile, and they were subsequently made spiritually FREE to be married to another - even Christ.  As such, the LAW ended at the Cross and so did the spiritual affliction of Deut. Chpt 24.

Romans 7:4 (KJV)
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Romans 6:4 (KJV)
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3 (KJV)
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:7 (KJV)
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Romans 6:8 (KJV)
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

In summary, the Cross resulted in... 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 (KJV)  

This doctrine of the LOST 10 TRIBES is highly DIVISIVE and should NOT in any way be promoted nor advocated - it is just plain nonsense.