A Promise With A Word Puzzle Jeremiah’s Third Prophecy: The Fate of the Ten Tribes
The return of Israel to the Promised Land has long been an important subject of Biblical prophecy, and an enigmatic statement by the Prophet Jeremiah is especially interesting. There would be a reunited Israel, but when, where, and how? Our modern church ministers disagree on the meaning of this prophecy because of a word puzzle. We read in Jeremiah 3:18 (KJV) “In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.” However, the word “with” in this text (Hebrew ‘al, Strong’s #H5921) has a variety of conflicting meanings leading to a variety of interpretations in biblical translations. The Hebrew word can designate “with,” “to,” “unto,” “into,” and several other connotations. What was Jeremiah’s true meaning?
The earliest English Bible translations used the words “go unto,” including Wycliffe 1394, Coverdale 1535, and Bishops 1568. Tyndale 1534 says “go into.” The third-century, B.C., Greek Septuagint similarly says that Judah goes “to” Israel.
In contrast, many later translations say that Judah shall “walk with” or “join with” Israel, such as the Orthodox Jewish translation, the King James, and the Geneva Bible. Which of these is more accurate? Was the House of Judah to “go to” the House of Israel, following their pathway away from old Canaan in exile? Or were the two branches of God’s people to join, reunite, and walk home together from exile? To correctly answer this we need to examine four key questions if we are to understand the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s enigmatic prophecy of the manner of Israel’s return.
The Time of Fulfillment
The first key question is the time of fulfillment. Was Jeremiah’s prophecy fulfilled during the Old Testament or a future fulfillment at the end of this age? If it was fulfilled at the time of Babylon’s fall in 538 B.C., it matters little whether Judah walked to or joined with Israel; either way it was already accomplished long ago. Conversely, if it is a latter-day prophecy, then we have to ask where the two branches of Israel have been all of these intervening hundreds of years. The Jewish people are not still languishing in Assyria, but in Europe and Western nations today, so the exiled House of Israel must be there also if the two houses are to join and come back together. This is the logical and historically based British-Israel position, which traces the “lost tribes” of the House of Israel to European lands.
Jewish historian Yair Davidy writes, “The verse (3:18) should be read: ‘The House of Judah shall go unto [rather than ‘walk with’] the House of Israel. People from Judah and Benjamin…shall go unto the Lost Ten Tribes who are beyond the Sambation River. The Sambation River means Israelite Exiles who migrated to the west. The simple meaning is that Jews from Judah will go unto the Lost Tribes…” (“Origin,” 2002, p.86).
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says, “Two distinct apostasies, that of Israel and that of Judah, were foretold (Jer. 3:8, 10). The two have never been united since the Babylonish captivity; therefore, their joint restoration must be still future (Isa. 11:12, 13; Eze. 37:16-22; Hos. 1:11).”
The Bible Knowledge Commentary agrees saying, “Israel and Judah divided as a nation in 931 B.C., and have never reunited as a nation under God. The fulfillment of this promise awaits the return of Christ.”
John Wesley (1703-1791) stated, “The two kingdoms shall become one…a promise of their enjoying again their ancient possession at their last conversion.” He believed that the uniting of the two houses awaited the future conversion of the Jewish people, in accord with Ezekiel 37:15-28.
To Return Unconverted or In Faith?
The second key question is whether Israel was to return unconverted or in faith? In the Jeremiah chapter 3 prophecy we read in verse 14, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” The Prophet Isaiah confirmed this, “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11) This has never yet been fulfilled, neither in 538 B.C., nor in 1948, nor at any other date in the past. (cf. Isa. 62:12) It is clear that Israel was to return in faith and that this is an end of the age fulfillment.
Albert Barnes (1798-1870) Bible Commentary says, “The prophet has just described the return of the ten tribes (Jer. 3:14, etc.) Israel is represented as the first to repent, and Judah must go to her, in order that they may come together back to the holy land, divided no longer into Jews and Israelites, but merged into one people.” The Pulpit Commentary also concurs, stating the prophecy relates to, “the reunion of the separated portions of the nation. (Compare Eze. 37:16, 17; Hos. 1:11; Isa. 11:12, 13). Observe, Israel is converted first, then Judah.”
The fact that the two houses, Israel and Judah, are not converted at the same time, and Judah’s conversion is not complete, indicates that they have remained separate peoples to this day.
A Complete Return or Representative Only?
A third key question is whether it will be a complete return or representative? In the same passage of Jeremiah chapter 3 we read in verses 14 and 15, “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion…” This is clearly a limited representative return. The Prophet Isaiah concurred: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that…ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.” (Isa 27:12) Isaiah made this abundantly clear: “Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea, only a remnant will return.” (Isa. 10:22) The phrase “one of a city” shows that it would be a very limited return to Palestine. Where did the remaining vast majority of Israel migrate to? The word, Caucasian, provides the clue that the “lost tribes” who did not return migrated through the Caucasus Mountains and into Europe.
Literal or Spiritual?
Finally, a fourth key question is whether this Jeremiah prophecy is literal or spiritual. It actually has both elements! The prophecy, as we have shown, has a limited symbolic literal fulfillment with a small number of Israel and Judah returning to old Canaan, and a much grander fulfillment in the conversion of God’s people to their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Kyle and Delitzsch Commentary pointed out that the physical return of Israel cannot be separated from their spiritual return to the Lord: “Israel is the first to resolve on a return and to arise, and that Judah joins itself to the house of Israel. Judah is thus subordinated to the house of Israel, because the prophet is here seeking chiefly to announce the return of Israel to the Lord.” The Thomas Scott Bible Commentary (1864) says, “As this is here introduced subsequent to the calling of the Gentiles, it evidently foretells the future calling of the tribes of Israel into the church.” (iv:254)
Some people strain to make the prophecies to Judah or the Jewish people strictly literal and the prophecies to the House of Israel strictly spiritual. How could a literal Judah walk with a spiritual House of Israel? If only spiritual, why would they be said to go from one physical land to another? In Ezekiel’s prophecy of the joining of the two sticks, Israel and Judah, how can a spiritual stick be joined to a physical stick? (Ezk. 37:15-28) Israel is a uniquely chosen and prepared spiritual-physical people, not just one or the other!
