The Book of Ezekiel
Malbim understands this to mean, Not that the inhabitants of
Jerusalem rejected the other exiles and said that they could not inherit with
them but RATHER the people of Jerusalem thought that was the reality. They
considered the other exiles to be irretrievably lost and not about to return.
A Portion of Judah will be the first to Return. This is the present State of Israel.
At First they will be Reluctant to Receive the Ten Tribes and Assimilated non-Identifiable Jews but after that they will. The Tribes will Return at first Physically and AFTER THAT in the Religious Sense; Judah needs the Return of Samaria (Manasseh and Israel) both physically and spiritually for the sake of Its own Redemption; Judah will teach Joseph; The Ten Tribes will Return and Help Judah Rehabilitate the Land of Greater Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. The Rest of Judah will then Return.
The Ten Tribes and assimilated Jews will be brought back tot he Land of Israel
and there in the Land they will be revitalised to learn and keep to keep the
Law.
Malbim:
"ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WHOLLY (11:15) all the house of Israel in its
entirety.
These were the rest of the tribes who were exiled at first [by the Assyrians
represented by] Sancherib
for from they too will emerge a remnant [to be saved]. Even though these were
not redeemed in the redemption of the Second Temple [led by Ezra] they will
return in the Last Days."
[Ezekiel 11:17] THEREFORE SAY, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; I WILL EVEN GATHER YOU
FROM THE PEOPLE, AND ASSEMBLE YOU OUT OF THE COUNTRIES WHERE YE HAVE BEEN
SCATTERED, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE LAND OF ISRAEL.
Eisemann understands this following passage to be referring to all of Israel,
including the Lost Ten Tribes.
Malbim: "In the future God will ingather the Ten Tribes who were in faraway
lands and did not return in the time of the Second Temple".
Ramban (Nachmanides) holds the same view we have been quoting that the
prophecies are understandable on two levels:
1. The message potentially could have been fulfilled partly in the very time of
Ezekiel if the people would have repented; and
2. The complete fulfillment of the Prophecy of reconciliation will only happen
in the time of the Messiah.
[Ezekiel 11:18] AND THEY SHALL COME
THITHER, AND THEY SHALL TAKE AWAY ALL THE DETESTABLE THINGS THEREOF AND ALL THE
ABOMINATIONS THEREOF FROM THENCE.
They shall first come back to the land and then they shall cast aside
their idols"
[Ezekiel 11:19] AND I WILL GIVE THEM ONE
HEART, AND I WILL PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU; AND I WILL TAKE THE STONY HEART
OUT OF THEIR FLESH, AND WILL GIVE THEM AN HEART OF FLESH:
They will be given one heart, a spirit of unity, awareness of the truth,
willingness and ability to fulfill God"s will, and the awareness that they
capable of doing so and want to do so.
[Ezekiel 11:20] THAT THEY MAY WALK IN MY
STATUTES, AND KEEP MINE ORDINANCES, AND DO THEM: AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE,
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD.
The bottom line is that in order to return and dwell in the Land of
Israel all the statutes, ordinances, and commandments must be kept.
THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE: They shall be made aware of their Israelite Identity.
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD: They will be reconciled with the Almighty.
Stage Two:
The Ten Tribes will Return and Help Rehabilitate the Land of Greater Israel.
The Rest of Judah will then Return.
Judah Needs the Return of the Ten Tribes!
[Ezekiel 16:53] WHEN I SHALL BRING AGAIN THEIR CAPTIVITY, THE CAPTIVITY OF SODOM
AND HER DAUGHTERS, AND THE CAPTIVITY OF SAMARIA AND HER DAUGHTERS, THEN WILL I
BRING AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF THY CAPTIVES IN THE MIDST OF THEM:
# THE CAPTIVITY OF
SODOM AND HER DAUGHTERS:
Moshkovitz (Daat
Mikra)
suggests that this refers to the revival of the Land of Canaan. Sodom was
overturned and all the area around destroyed. So too, after the Roman conquest
and the Arab and Turkish occupation was most of the Land turned into a wasteland
without trees or greenery. The British and the Jews restored it in part. The
State of Israel is continuing to do so but not as much nor as well as it should
be. We have also been responsible for ecological abuses that should be
corrected. There is much that could and should be done.
Malbim
says here that at the return "Samaria" and "Sodom" (") will be the most
important section of the Israelite nation whereas Judah will be pulled after
them and returned through them. He repeats this message in 16:55.
The Lost Ten Tribes will return. Manasseh will return. The exiles of Judah who
remained in exile will return together with the Lost Ten
Tribes.
Abarbanel
(1435-1509): "The Ten Tribes will return to Samaria and its daughter-regions and
so will the scattered dispersion of Judah be gathered in from the four corners
of the earth".
[Ezekiel 16:55] WHEN THY SISTERS, SODOM AND HER DAUGHTERS, SHALL RETURN TO THEIR
FORMER ESTATE, AND SAMARIA AND HER DAUGHTERS SHALL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER
ESTATE, THEN THOU AND THY DAUGHTERS SHALL RETURN TO YOUR FORMER ESTATE. UNTIL
NOW THEY ARE STILL OVERTURNED AND HAVE NOT RETURNED UNTO THEIR FORMER STATE.
This is a message for Judah: In order for Judah to realize herself
and to bring back all her exiles and rehabilitate herself Judah must also seek
the Lost Ten Tribes and cause them to return! This is important to Judah for her
own sake! It is also hinting that rehabilitation of the Land itself is somehow
connected with the return of the Lost Ten Tribes. See our Commentary on Isaiah
56:8 and Hosea chapter six, where we have explained that according to prophecy:
part of Judah would return to the Land and begin to build it up. Then the Lost
Ten Tribes would return in two stages together with the remnant of Judah. The
first part of this process is well on its way.
## [16:55] SODOM AND HER DAUGHTERS, SHALL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER ESTATE, AND SAMARIA AND
HER DAUGHTERS SHALL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER ESTATE:
Malbim:
[addressing Judah] "For they [the Lost Tribes] shall be the most important
section in the returning and you subservient to them, and you shall return
through them".
Abarbanel:
"There is no doubt that this promised ingathering will occur in the Times of the
Messiah. Until now it has never been fulfilled".
[Ezekiel 16:61] THEN THOU SHALT REMEMBER THY WAYS, AND BE ASHAMED, WHEN THOU
SHALT RECEIVE THY SISTERS, THINE ELDER AND THY YOUNGER: AND I WILL GIVE THEM
UNTO THEE FOR DAUGHTERS, BUT NOT BY THY COVENANT.
Judah must seek to
bring the Lost Ten Tribes back. God makes the participation of Judah in the
process of returning the Lost Ten Tribes a prior condition for the
rehabilitation of Judah herself!
## I WILL GIVE THEM UNTO THEE FOR DAUGHTERS: Judah will have some degree of
directional task to play in helping the Ten Tribes return and showing them the
way in which they should go. Judah however is also obligated to get his own act
together or else (God forbid) be punished.
## BUT NOT BY THY COVENANT: The Lost Ten Tribes will not necessarily have
to convert to Judaism in our sense of the word though they will renew the
covenant between Israel and the Almighty and Judah is obligated to assist
them.
Even after the Return and Re-Unification the Twelve Tribes will each dwell in their own territory.
They will not physically inter-mix with each other. The Return of Ephraim does not necessarily mean in every case a conversion to
Orthodox Judaism.
We do not know exactly what it iwill entail.
We do not have to know.
For the moment we must become aware as to who the Ten Tribes are. This is a beginning. This is what the Almighty wants of us.
Beyond that we can wait and see while each one of us does the best they can for the sake of us all.
Brit-Am, Movement of the Ten Tribes of Israel, does not advocate conversion to Judaism.
We believe in studying the Bible, leading good lives, and advancing knowledge as to who and where the Ten Tribes are today.
These are the Three Rs of Brit-Am.
Research: Discovering where the Ten Tribes are and proving it.
Recognition of our Research Fin dings i.e. Revelation of Brit-Am Truth concerning the Ten Tribes.
Reconciliation. Working for a drawing together of Judah and Joseph.
The Almighty God of Israel will help HIS people. May God bless all of us.
[Ezekiel 16:62] AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH THEE; AND THOU SHALT KNOW
THAT I AM THE LORD:
God will once
again accept Judah and all Israel.
Sequence of Return in Ezekiel.avi
Duration: ca. 19.5 minutes
See also:
Biblical Proofs
http://www.britam.org/Proof/ProofsIntro.html
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