Bull's-Eye!

27 Iyyar 5777

Day 42 of the Omer

There is a story of man who was walking through the woods and spotted a target painted on a tree trunk with an arrow straight dab in the middle. He was amazed at the archer’s accuracy. He continued his walk and spotted several more trees with targets and arrows shot dead center. As he continued, he met a man with a bow and arrow and inquired if he was an archer who had made those shots.

“Are you the archer who made those brilliant shots?” the man said.

“Yes, I am.” said the archer.

“I would enjoy seeing you make another shot if you would,” the man replied.

“Sure thing,” said the archer

Stepping back the archer pulled out an arrow from his satchel, attached it to his bow and carefully drew it back as he aimed at an unmarked tree. Firing the arrow it lodge into the tree. The archer then picked up two buckets of paints and brushes and proceeded to paint the target around the arrow.

This oft-told story is a classic example of how Christians, and increasingly more and more Jews, c"v, "fulfill prophecy".

There is certainly no question that there are a great many prophecies in Tanakh which promise the return of the Ten Tribes of Israel who were exiled and completely assimilated among the nations. But, to misuse them to validate the spurious claims of the so-called "Ephraimites" - Christians wanting to reclaim the birthright that their father Eisav spurned - is beyond reprehensible.

And the word of the Lord came to [Yechezkel], saying:

"And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write upon it, 'For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions'; and take one stick and write upon it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' And bring them close, one to the other into one stick, and they shall be one in your hand.

And when the children of your people say to you, saying, 'Will you not tell us what these are to you?' Say to them, So says the Lord God: Behold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will place them with him with the stick of Judah, and I will make them into one stick, and they shall become one in My hand.

And the sticks upon which you shall write shall be in your hand before their eyes. And say to them, So says the Lord God: Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side, and I will bring them to their land.

And I will make them into one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be to them all as a king; and they shall no longer be two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore.

And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols,....

Now, despite the fact that the Christian Ephraimites are a completely separate and independent entity which still practices idolatry - that they are gentiles and not Jews - they claim they are the fulfillment of this prophecy. We are being urged to accept their false claims because they will unite with us "in the end" and will give up their idolatry "in the end". That sounds very much like the stock Christian answer to Jewish assertions that Yeshu did not fulfill the prophecies encumbent upon Mashiach. Oh, he'll finish the job when he comes back, they say - in the end. Uhn-huh.

They also completely overlook the fact that God repeats over and over again that HE is going to do this thing, not us. And did you catch that reference to the "Children of Israel"? We were called the Children of Israel when all the tribes were united at Har Sinai. This is how the prophecy says it will be when the Jewish people return to their homeland at the End of Days - all of the tribes will return together, no one knowing really which tribe he belongs to - just Jews. 

And does it say that Ephraim will miraculously regain his memory of his tribal affiliation and return as Ephraim? No! It says, " I will place them with the stick of Judah." In other words, ALL of the returnees, Judah as well as Ephraim, will return together as JEWS - the Children of Israel [Jacob]!!!

Out of the all of the Christians making this claim, I have yet to hear one identify as any tribe other than Ephraim. Strange, no? If this is a "phenomenon" of "the Ruach HaKodesh" how come no one wants to be from Dan or Naphtali or Asher, etc.

We are being told by the gullilble Jews involved with these Ephraimites that we must deal with these people because it is a "phenomenon". I'll tell you about a phenomenon - a REAL phenomenon. Thousands and thousands, multiple entire families - mothers, fathers and children - from across the globe have been quietly, quietly "returning" their souls to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael. No fanfare, no announcements - just the way HKB"H likes to carry out these truly redemptive processes. So many gentiles are coming to convert in Israel that special conversion schools and courts have been set up all over the country to accommodate the demand. (I could tell you a personal story and maybe I will when this all settles down.)

We are already no longer two nations or two kingdoms. God has already accomplished His will in this matter. So, accept that and reject these usurpers from Eisav.