Stepping in here to help clarify....can't stay long as my grandson's baseball game starts soon. He's actually pretty good for nine years old and makes me proud. He has a 51 mile an hour fast ball....clocked! His dad, my son, was pretty good too, so he has an excellent pitching coach.
Many folks never heard of the distinction between Israel and Judah. Ping-Pong has alluded to it several times and I have also, so I thought I would take the time to expostulate.
In Genesis we read of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and of God's relationship to them. Abraham has other children and so does Isaac, but the scriptures primarily deal with Jacob and his progeny from the time his name is changed to Israel [Genesis 35:10]. The twelve sons and one daughter of Jacob are henceforth called the Children of Israel.....and the rest of the Old Testament is their story.
Everyone knows of the enslavement in Egypt and [Genesis 48] explains the division of the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manessah). During the Egyptian captivity there are thirteen tribes of Israel but after the Exodus the tribe of Moses (and Aaron), the Levites, becomes a priestly tribe and is apportioned by population to serve the other tribes.... bringing the tribe count back down to twelve.
After the Exodus and the resettlement in "The Promised Land" the Kingdom of Israel is divided and this can be read about in the books of Kings and Chronicles...primarily chapters eleven and twelve of I Kings. Ten tribes, in the north, retain the appellation "Israel". The two tribes in the south are Judah and Benjamin....with their apportioned share of the priestly tribe of Levi. They are henceforth referred to as Judah...jointly, and later on in biblical history simply become known as "Jews".
There are multiple prophesies to the Nations of Israel and Judah....both jointly and separately....so when you are reading prophecy it helps to make this distinction. Later on in history, God in his anger sends away to exile the Northern Kingdom...(ten tribes) about 721 B.C. to Assyria [II Kings 17:6] and they never return from captivity. The king of Assyria repopulates the now vacant land with pagans [II Kings 17:24] and these folks blend in with their paganism some features of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [II Kings 17:33-34] ....exemplified by their now new neighbors....the Jews, or the Southern Kingdom.
The ten tribes are now lost to history....everyone knows where they are, but they become known as strangers, sojourners, captives, and in reading ancient history of that era and local you will see many cultures developing in the same location at the same time as the ten tribes were in residence. So, bottom line....they became known by other names. Josephus knew who they were and where they were in the first century. Jesus knew who they were and where they were when he instructed his Apostles to "Go to them".
The Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jews) lived on in that area until they too, were taken captive.... to Babylon about 600 B.C. [II Kings 25:1-7] But, they returned to the "Promised Land" seventy years later and the books of Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle that episode. That land....of Judah (the Jews) became known as Judea in the first century. The land north was referred to as Samaria and still populated by paganized descendants of Babylonian refugees....the ancestors of Simon Magus. [Acts 8]
During the first century, the time we read most about in the New Testament, the ten tribes of Israel have still not returned to "The Promised Land" and they are known as Israelites.....and never referred to as Jews! The country of Judea is populated by Jews...who are also Israelites....one tribe. These ten tribes are who Our Saviour refers to when He speaks of the "Lost Sheep". [Matthew 10:6 and Matthew 15:24] He also references them in [John 21:15-17]. He is not speaking here of the Jews of Judea. He was one...so were most of the Apostles. He is not speaking of the Gentiles or He would have not called them His Lost Sheep!
This is only a scratching of the surface with regard to this story and like I say....I've got to go root for my grandson, so I would just like to leave you all with a suggestion. When you read prophecy look to see at whom it is directed. If it is directed to Israel in the last days....don't put too much credence in that being the little country we all call Israel today....for they are "Judah! This is one reason why many folks cannot understand simple prophecy. They are attempting to place it on the wrong people, at the wrong time, in the wrong place!
Enjoy the ball game.
You have reason to beam over grandson's pitcing arm.
Diego I hope you're enjoying your grandson's game. There is nothing quite as wonderful as grandchildren.
Thank you for giving a more complete explanation of the tribe issue. In reading some of your commentary on this thread you seemed to touch on the subject and I expected someone to ask about it but no one did, (at least I think they didn't).
It really does open up scripture to see the difference in the tribes and know who the Jews actually are and that there was a House of Israel before there was a nation of Israel. That fact and that there was an age before this one make God's Word much easier to understand, at least for me.
Thank you again....Ping-Pong
You said, The land north was referred to as Samaria and still populated by paganized descendants of Babylonian refugees....the ancestors of Simon Magus. [Acts 8]
From this, I surmise that the Samaritans were, in fact, descendants of the 10 tribes of the former Northern Kingdom.
You then said, These ten tribes are who Our Saviour refers to when He speaks of the "Lost Sheep". You then cited, again, Matthew 10:6. You also cited Matthew 15:24.
Matthew 10:6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
You then state that Jesus gave Peter the charge to tend to those 'lost sheep' in John 21:15-17.
John 21:15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
John 21:16 A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
John 21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
So let's take a look at this a bit. According to what you're saying, in the above references, including Matthew 10:6, is that Peter and the twelve were commanded to go to the ten lost tribes. What you said earlier, was that the Samaritans were, in fact, paganized members of those ten lost tribes.
So if the above two are the case, and you said that they are, then why would Jesus say what He did in Matthew 10:5?
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans"
It seems that since Samaria was still populated by paganized descendants of Babylonian refugees (known as Samaritans, that it would be perfectly logical for Jesus to tell the 12 to go to the Samaritans, since they were to go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mt 10:6).
In the account in Matthew 15:24, Jesus is speaking to a Canaanite woman (a gentile). According to this and the parallel account in Mark chapter 7 (at least I assume it was parallel, in Mark, it says she was a a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation), her wish was eventually rewarded. According to both accounts, Jesus was in the vicinity of Tyre, in Syria. In other words, He was not even in Israel (Judea, Samaria, Galilee).
Interesting what was said in the Mark account, though. In verse 27 of this account, Jesus said, And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." What I find interesting here is that He says that the dogs will be fed...just not yet (at that time).
If you take a look at another account where Jesus healed a gentile, you will see another interesting thing:
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.Mat 8:11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
Mat 8:12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth."
So in both these accounts, Jesus is stating that all WILL be able to be saved.
Finally, in the verses you cite in John 21, you will note that Jesus did not call them the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." Nor did He call them "lost sheep." Just "sheep."
I would refer you to the following verses in John 10.
Jhn 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.Jhn 10:12 He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
Jhn 10:13 He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.
Jhn 10:14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,
Jhn 10:15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jhn 10:16 And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
Please note verse 16 very, very carefully.
Again, I think your theory has some serious flaws to it. I suggested before that we agree to disagree. Allow me to suggest that again.
By the way, I hope your grandson's game went well. 51 mph? Not half bad!
Another one might be because we aren't prophets or it isn't time yet.
Dan 12:3 "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Dan 12:4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."
I'll concede that most folks don't differentiate between Israel and Judah. In that light, how does one include the Christian of pure Gentile heritage?