Skip to content

USA & International Mailing Address

Oh that Canada / USA border closure! We have finally just received the past three months of mail from our Ferndale PO Box, which is now closed, in late January. So as a temporary measure, please direct all mail and correspondence to our Canadian address.

PO Box 31137 RPO Thunderbird
Langley, BC V1M 0A9
Canada

Important Message For Our American and International Readers

  • Links of Interest
  • We Believe
  • Our Contact Info
  • Privacy Policy
YouTube Spotify
The Association of the Covenant People The British Israel Truth
  • Home
  • Israel TruthExpand
    • Part 1 – Almighty God, The Great Gardener

      Part 2 – Marks of Identification

      Part 3 – Not Everyone’s Blind

      The Israel Truth

      What if you found out that you are an Israelite? Would it make a difference in your life? If you are of Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Scottish or Scandinavian origin, then you are, you know! And you could be in for a real life changer.
      This may sound strange, even uncomfortable, but take the time to peruse this website beginning with this series of articles. It’ll be worth it.

      Part 4 – The Founding of ACP, August2, 1909

      Part 5 – Our Identity Becomes Blurred

      Part 6 – The Sowing Years

  • Our LibraryExpand
    • Article Library

      Current Writers
      Editorials
      Other Contributors
      Hall of Fame Writers
      Down Memory Lane
      Bits & Pieces
      From the Mailbox

      Monarchs of Destiny

      Monarchs of Destiny
      King Edward I
      King Henry VIII
      Queen Elizabeth I
      King James I
      King George III
      Queen Elizabeth II

      Multimedia

      Our 100 Year Anniversary
      Toronto 2012
      Special Events
      Audio Messages
      The Poetry Corner

  • Our MagazineExpand
    • 2024 Editions
      2023 Editions
      2022 Editions

      2021 Editions
      2020 Editions
      2019 Editions
      2018 Editions
      2017 Editions

      November TKC Magazine
      Current Edition Online
      Join Our Mailing List

      2016 Editions
      2015 Editions
      2014 Editions
      2013 Editions
      2012 Editions

      2011 Editions
      2010 Editions
      2009 Editions
      2008 Editions
      2007 Editions

The Association of the Covenant People The British Israel Truth

Pastor Jory Brooks

Current Writers

Current Writers

The Unkown Exile

ByPastor Jory Brooks March 4, 2011January 15, 2016
Home / Current Writers / The Unkown Exile

2011-02-brooksMainline Christians generally know something about the Old Testament fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian exile of the House of Judah, but there was another exile of Judah that is almost universally ignored, even by many Biblical scholars. We read about this “unknown exile” in the book of Second Kings 18:13: “Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.” Historians date this event to 701 B.C., which is about two decades after the fall of the House of Israel and its capital, Samaria. The Scriptural account tells us that all of Judah’s cities except for Jerusalem itself fell to the Assyrians, with the exile of most of the conquered citizens.

As the Assyrian army prepared to attack Jerusalem itself, Sennacherib sent a pompous letter to Jerusalem’s officials, declaring, “Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?” (Isa. 10:11) The inspiring story of Jerusalem’s deliverance is told in 2 Kings: “And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD…” (2 Ki. 19:14-15)

God answered Hezekiah’s prayer and promised to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian army. “Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” (2 Ki. 19:20) Even though God spared Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, all of the other cities of Judah were conquered and their people exiled.

A remnant who escaped the Assyrian conquest of the cities of Judah would continue a small presence in the land. “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward…the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.” (2 Ki. 19:30-32)

The prophet Isaiah also recorded these momentous events. God declared, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.” (Isa. 10:20)

Notice that this verse refers to two sections of Israel. First, “the remnant” includes those few who had escaped the Assyrian conquest and exile, including the elderly and others too weak to travel. The fact that they are a “remnant” indicates that these individuals were not a majority of the population. Second, “such as are escaped,” would include an additional unknown number who may have taken to the hills and hid out from the enemy, as well as those safe in the city of Jerusalem.

In spite of the clear account given in Scripture, some Bible commentaries want to promote an entirely different view of events, and deny the exile of any Israelites at all. The popular Jamieson, Faucett and Brown Commentary says this concerning the events of Isaiah 10: “…the Assyrians in Sennacherib’s reign did not carry off Judah captive…” This would lead a reader to suppose that there were absolutely no Israelites of the House of Judah taken into exile, when the Bible instead labels those few who remained, “a remnant.” One wonders if the reason for this false history is to dispel any ideas of exiled Israel becoming “lost tribes.”
Just as worrisome is the same commentary’s interpretation of a following verse in Isaiah, which states: “For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.” (Isa. 10:22) Here we are told that Israel in exile was a vast multitude “as the sand of the sea,” certainly indicating that most of God’s people were exiled from the land. Not only does the commentary’s view above contradict this Scripture, but they then also follow with an even more surprising error of interpretation:

“Though Israel be now numerous as the sand, a remnant only of them shall return – the great majority shall perish. The reason is added, Because the consumption (fully completed destruction) is decreed…” (Jamieson, Faucett and Brown Commentary on Isaiah 10:22)

Nowhere in the text does the prophet tell us, “The great majority of Israel shall perish.” Quite the opposite! Nowhere, in fact, does Scripture overturn the Abrahamic Covenant’s promise of great multiplicity of seed. If that were the case, then Israel would not have been as numerous as the sand of the sea! The Bible instead is telling us that there was a great diminishing of the number of Israel in Palestine due to the great numbers exiled.

The Preacher’s Commentary of Isaiah 10:6 states, “Isaiah tells us that God gave Assyria the charge to attack His people, seize their wealth, march them into exile, and trample through their streets. (Isa. 10:15-16) As total as the destruction was to be, the charge was still limited to Judah and within the sovereignty of God.” This does reveal the truth that Assyria took Judah into exile, which few commentaries seem to admit. However, it incorrectly claims that this exile “was still limited to Judah.” Instead, some of the House of Israel that had escaped the Assyrian conquest of 722 B.C. had resettled in the cities of Judah and faced exile by Sennacherib.

Anti-British-Israel writers often will claim that all or most of the House of Israel escaped exile in 722 B.C. by fleeing to Judah where they resettled. If so, most of these individuals were exiled later during Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah.

The combination of misguided commentaries and even difficult to understand Hebrew expressions sometimes provide a roadblock to the average person coming into an understanding of British-Israel truth on their own. For example, in Isa 10:13 we read, “For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.” Although it may not be clear to us in English, the phrase, “removed the bounds of the people,” is an idiom indicating exile beyond the borders of Israel. In addition, the Hebrew expression translated, “put down the inhabitants,” is also an indication of exile and removal from the land (as confirmed correctly by the Jamieson, Faucett and Brown Commentary on this Verse).

This may be part of the reason that the Apostle Paul advised, “…how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14) It is important for each of us to be witnesses to others in order to overcome such obstacles and help them better understand Biblical truths!

Post navigation

Previous Previous
The Word of God
NextContinue
A Warning

Pastor Jory Brooks

Pastor Jory Brooks is an American and pastor of the oldest Anglo-Israel church in North America, located in Detroit, Michigan. He is also Vice-President of the “The Servant People, Canadian British Israel Association” and together with President Mary Bennett, has been a driving force in that organization. With his keen interest in history and research, he has updated and written many fine publications for CBIA. When you read a Jory Brooks article, you know you are in touch with one of the foremost scholars of the Israel Truth. He is a speed reader so gets the most out of the hours per day he spends in research. His articles in our magazine are invariably fresh and informative and he also writes a quarterly article for a British publication. It is a tribute to his wisdom that his articles are very often picked up and reprinted in other Israel Truth magazines. Jory is also a sought after speaker and has delivered messages throughout the United States, Canada and the British Isles.

Read More Articles

The Association of the Covenant People

"So the House of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward” (Ezekiel 39: 22)

Mailing Address

Canada
PO Box 31137 RPO Thunderbird
Langley, BC V1M 0A9
Canada

Contact Info

t. 604.524.1170
f. 604.524.9933

TKC Questions
General Questions

Mailing Address

Overseas and USA
PO Box 31137 RPO Thunderbird
Langley, BC V1M 0A9
Canada

© 2023 The Association of the Covenant People |  Designed by betonicah

  • Links of Interest
  • We Believe
  • Our Contact Info
  • Privacy Policy
ACP Thank You For Your Donations

For Your Support!

Our Association is over 110 years old and all during that time we have been spreading news of the Israel Truth and the Gospel of the Kingdom to our brethren around the world. We would not be able to do this if it wasn’t for the kindness of our readers because we are funded totally through donations and gifts.

We could not do this without your support! Click either of the buttons below to donate in the currency of your choice.

Canadian Donations
US Donations
Scroll to top
  • Home
  • Israel Truth
    • Part 1 – Almighty God, The Great Gardener
    • Part 2 – Marks of Identification
    • Part 3 – Not Everyone’s Blind
    • Part 4 – The Founding of ACP
    • Part 5 – Our Identity Becomes Blurred
    • Part 6 – The Sowing Years
  • Our Library
    • Current Writers
    • Editorials
    • Hall of Fame Writers
    • Other Contributors
    • Monarchs of Destiny
    • Multimedia
    • The Poetry Corner
    • Bits and Pieces
    • Down Memory Lane
    • From the Mailbox
  • Our Magazine
Search