Have you heard the phrase “the ten lost tribes of Israel?” For years, I have heard that phrase used and many claims about where they went and who they are now. The patriarch Jacob had twelve sons which would become the nation of Israel. These boys’ names are Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, giving them an inheritance also. Where are all these people today? A cult that was very popular in the 20th century was headed by Herbert W. Armstrong. He taught what was called “British Israelism.”  He made the outlandish claim that the “lost tribes” migrated to England and America and were true Israel. He was a false prophet and we all must be careful because there are groups that still believe Armstrong’s doctrines. They will simply put a new face on the teaching, package it as new, and wow a new generation of believers with this heresy. Others make similar claims usually by groups practicing what is called Replacement Theology. What is Replacement Theology? It takes the promises of Israel and applies them to their group. In the case of Armstrong, he claims Israel’s promises for the European peoples. Replacement groups abound. There are groups of Latinos, African, Oriental, as well as Caucasian that claim those promises. Feminism in its early days practiced RT.

A key date in biblical history is 931 BC. That is the date when the nation of Israel was divided after the death of Solomon. The tribes in the North numbered ten while those in the South numbered two. A second key date for the student of the Bible is 722 BC. That is the period when the Assyrians militarily conquered the Northern Tribes. How many were in the North? Ten. Because of this conquest, these Northern tribes became known as the “lost tribes of Israel.” But are they truly lost? Rabbi Akiba taught this in the second century, “The ten tribes shall not return again; they have completely disappeared” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:3). A story passed along in Judaism by the noted Jewish historian, Josephus, told of a group of people that lived beyond the river Sambatyon. The river was fast moving which prevented large groups of people from crossing to return home. Then there is the theory mentioned earlier concerning the teaching of Herbert W. Armstrong. The Ten Tribes were captured by Assyria and now have become the Saxae (Saxons) that came westward to Europe and ultimately America. BTW, this is the belief of several white supremacy groups which claim racial superiority over other races.

What does the Bible say? The scripture is always where we go for our answers, is it not? It should be. We are to be “people of the book.” Let me share some thoughts about these “lost tribes.”

  1. The “lost tribes” were never lost to begin with. They were always included in the nation as a whole. The book of II Chronicles sheds light on these tribes. Jeroboam was a wicked king in the North who instituted pagan worship. Many of those in the North left to go to the South, taking their lineage with them. They loved God and wished to worship as instructed by Moses. “For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the LORD: And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers” (11:14;16). During the reign of Asa even more from Ephraim and Manasseh left for the South (See 15:9).
  2. There is an assumption that “all” of the Northern Tribes went into Assyrian captivity. Again, what does the scripture say? II Chronicles 30:1 sheds light on this thought. Hezekiah, king of the South, sent word for all those in the North to come be with Judah and worship in Jerusalem, celebrating Passover. If everyone were gone into Assyrian slavery how could this invitation be legit? A hundred years after the North fell, approximately 622 BC, more Israelites came and helped repair the Temple (34:9). Archeologists uncovered the history of Assyrian King Sargon. In these records it says that Sargon only carried away 27,290 people along with 50 chariots (Biblical Archaeologists, VI, 1943, p. 58; Varner, Jacob’s Dozen, Friends of Israel, p.79).
  3. The Southern Kingdom fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC (the last of three phrases). Decades later under Persia the Jewish captives were allowed to go home. The writer of Chronicles always viewed Israel as a whole and not North and South. In 9:2-3, he refers to Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.
  4. What about the New Testament? This blog is getting a little long so I will give you quick references with little comment. Acts 26:7 mentions “twelve tribes.” Luke tells us about a senior lady in the Temple named Anna. She knew she was from the “tribe of Asher.” If her tribe were lost, how would she know her lineage? How does James begin his little epistle? “To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (1:1). The scattering was the Diaspora which meant those living inside and outside of the land of Israel geographically. Revelation 7:4-8 refers to the twelve tribes present during the Tribulation and Millennium. If they were lost……you get the picture.

Watch. Listen carefully to what people say. Do not get pulled into the heresy of Replacement Theology and certainly not the teachings of cultists. The “ten lost tribes” do not seem to be lost after all.