I very much agree with what you are saying. My question is do you believe the "tribes" today are still physical only, or spiritual only.... or both?
Some I speak with think that it is spiritual only since the Advent of Christ. My personal understanding is that there remains a blood lineage tribal connection but any Gentile becomes part of that family through belief in Christ.
What is your understanding?
....Ping-Pong
Well, the child of promise (Isaac) was a genetic son. And Ephraim was to become the fullness of the Gentiles.
any Gentile becomes part of that family through belief in Christ.
Or perhaps that *is* what serves as an identifier of physical descent [of those otherwise lost to history].
Graft a Tzadik onto the front of the word "Javan" (Greece) and you get "Zion", whose sum = Joseph.
06726 Tsiyown {tsee-yone'}
the same (regularly) as 06725; TWOT - 1910; n pr loc
AV - Zion 153, Sion 1; 154
Zion = "parched place"
1) another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books
>>>>
06725 tsiyuwn {tsee-yoon'}
from the same as 06723 in the sense of conspicuousness [compare 05329]; TWOT - 1887a; n m
AV - title 1, waymark 1, sign 1; 3
1) signpost, monument, market
Modern Hebrew v. tziyen (from tziyun, mark): mark, note, distinguish, be characteristic of
Gerund (tziyun): mark(ing), grade*, remark
*as in score, grades (tziyunim) on a report card
Galatians 3:24-29
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
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.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.