I just love watching the tv show are you smarter than a fifth grader. I don’t know where they get some of these people but it is sure funny to know that today’s fifth graders are smarter than most of the adult college graduates. They have questions from different grade levels starting at the first grade going through the fifth grade. It is amazing how much knowledge is lost between the age of ten and twenty, and how much smarter your parents got after you became twenty. I would like to ask you a couple of elementary Biblical questions that should be able to be answered by a fifth grader.

1. Who is to inherit the earth? The meek

2. How many authors wrote the gospels? 4

3. How many people did God save from the flood? 8

3. How many tribes of Israel went into captivity? All of them.

Have you ever heard of the lost ten tribes of Israel? Have you ever wondered about how they could become lost? I have, If we look at the number of people who were in Israel How could so many people be carried away into captivity? If we just think about this, What if there were just as many people as came out of Egypt hundreds of years earlier it would be more than a million people. How could invaders carry away more than a million people and leave the land desolate? What happened to these ten tribes? Could they be carried away? Who were the people who devastated the kingdom of Israel? The answer lies in 2 kings chapter 17 When the nation of Israel had gone to war with Judah, Judah made a deal with the king of Assyria to fight for them against Israel. Isn’t it just like brothers to fight against each other. These are cousins, children of brothers who both want to be the boss. The nation of Assyria has always been opportunistic. It was this nation that defeated Israel and the story of how they moved them is fascinating.

2Ki 17: 23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. 24 ¶ And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

Notice this it says they moved the people that lived in the cities, not the population that was in the country. There is a big difference between the numbers of city dwellers in that time than there is today. Can you imagine moving over a million people to other cities, that had to take some time. If I were the king of Assyria I would do it city by city. Notice that is what it says that the king of Assyria did. He most likely did not move the local farmers and those who had fled from the invasion. Anytime there is an invasion by a foreign army there is a percentage of people who flee. The simple truth is that they were moving people out of occupied cities and moving people from one city to another. Think about this for a moment. If you can disrupt any organized government it is much easier to control a population. It says that God moved these people to a land far away and moved people from other cities into the area called Israel.

One of the things that we need to remember about this is that of the children of Israel were already separate from the nation of Judah. At this time we find that Judah was a separate kingdom occupying an area that surrounded Jerusalem and that Israel was occupying an area to the north. It is interesting to see that one of the cities that they brought people from to occupy the nation was from the city of Babylon. It is from this kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar came and captured the country of Judah.

Everyone has heard of the country of Israel. Have any of you ever wondered why it is occupied by a people called Jews? After all aren’t they all descendents of the tribe of Judah? If all these people were of the tribe of Judah then why do they call themselves Israel? When we first hear the term Jew they were at war with the tribe of Israel. That is found in 2 kings 16. The story is one that shows How the kings of Israel warred with the kings of Judah If we look at the Book called the Bible we find that it is all about and centers on a nation called Israel and a city called Jerusalem. All prophecy is dealing with Jerusalem and the nation of Israel.

The whole book is about a people that God chose because they were least among all the people.

As we look at these people we will find that they are always disobeying God. Finally God told them that He had had enough and sent the nation of Israel into captivity. Eventually because of disobedience He sent the nation of Judah into captivity also. Lets look at what was prophesied about the nation of Israel and Judah for these end times.

Jacob was to play a very important part in the establishment of the Old Testament people of God. God changed Jacob's name to Israel. From this one man came the nation (family) of Israel. Notice it was from Abraham through Isaac and then Jacob. But the kingdom didn’t really start until Jacob had His twelve sons.

Genesis 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Israel had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. The tribe of Levi formed the priesthood and were effectively dispersed throughout the other eleven tribes having no land inheritance. Two of Israel's grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, were designated as individual tribes to bring the number back to twelve land possessing tribes. The patriarch Israel did something unheard of when doing inheritances. He gave a blessing that the sons could not believe.

Genesis 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

Ephram and Manassas became named Israel. And were to grow into a multitude of peoples.

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

We see that Israel is from that time promised at the time of the end to be composed of two tribes that are to become a great nation and a multitude of nations, in the end time, for this prophecy was for the end time. God said He was going to send them out of His sight for a specific period of time so they could have time to repent and to learn to follow Him. This period of time was to last for a period of 2520 years. This can be found in Leviticus 26, it’s called one of the blessing and cursing chapters. If we look at when the ten tribes were taken into captivity by the Assyrians then add the number of years that they were to be in captivity before God would again bless them we can see that these blessings were to be taken away in the year 721-718 b.c. When we add 2520 years to 718 BC we come to 1800-1803. WE should be able to find a nation or nations that received blessings at that time in history. If we look at the which nations were blessed in 1800-1803 And then we can see who God is blessing with the national promises God made to the nation of Israel because of Abraham.

Only two nations fit that scenario. It is the Unites states who in 1803 purchased the Louisiana territory from France for 3 cents an acre. Wouldn’t we like to find a deal like that today? It doubled the size of the country in one bold move. It also added to the united states the greatest farming land of anywhere in the world. And Great Brittan. Oh what a nation and a multitude of nations. Look at the pictures of the British empire. They ruled the world, literally they were the kings of the seas. Is there a nation and a company of nations that were blessed and great in 1803? At that time it was said that the sun never set on the British empire. They ruled the seas and held every major port in the world. Stop and think about this. They ruled and controlled most of Africa, India, Egypt, and Japan. They controlled every major sea port and sea passage in the world. The sun truly never set on the British empire. The patriarch Jacob who is also called Israel also told his other sons what would happen to them in the last days. These prophesies must be fulfilled or this book will not stand.

GEN 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

He goes all the way through this chapter telling each one of them what the dominate characteristics their descendents would display. When we get to verse 22 we see Jacob talking about Joseph and His two grand sons.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

Israel said that Joseph, His two grandsons would be separate from all the other brethren and would inherit special blessings from God. They were to inherit the material blessings God promised Abraham.

The most famous of the tribes of Israel is of course Judah. From Judah's descendants came the "Jews." King David descended from Judah, as did Jesus Christ much later. It is important to note that when Judah separated from the nation called Israel the tribe of Benjamin and part of the tribe of Levi stayed with Judah and have been absorbed into what we now today call the Jews. It is also important to note that all jews are Israelites, but not all Israelites are Jews. After the death of David's son Solomon, the Israelites split into two kingdoms. Judah and Benjamin with many of the Levites formed the southern kingdom of "Judah" with their capital at Jerusalem, while the other ten tribes formed the northern kingdom of "Israel" with their capital at Samaria. From time to time Judah and Israel actually fought wars against each other! It was because of one of these wars that Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel.

It seems strange that people today do not know the historical roots of their nation. Many millions of Israel’s descendants exist today in many parts of the world, but very few have any idea of their origin. Despite their various modern-day political "nationalities," they are however, as far as The Bible is concerned, still all Israelites. The knowledge of who they are is vital to the understanding of Prophecy! The southern kingdom of Judah was also conquered and transported away, by the Babylonians, about two centuries after the northern kingdom. However, after the Babylonians were themselves conquered by the Persians, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem where they were again conquered in turn by the Greeks and then the Romans. The Jews did however manage to keep their hold on Jerusalem, on and off, right to the present day. It is important to note that Abraham was not a Jew. Isaac was not a Jew. Judah's 11 brothers were not Jews. They were all Israelites, but only Judah's children and descendants, right to this day, are actually qualified to be called Jews. It's more than identifying a correct name, it's a matter of identifying the correct line. All of Israel's 12 tribes would eventually have a great effect upon the world, 10 of them through exploration, wealth, and industry (especially Ephraim and Manasseh and Judah, the Jews, the selected line through which a Savior would be born This is given in

Genesis 49:10" The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to Whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is His."

This is a promise that the throne of the kingdom of Israel will always be with Judah and that there shall always be an heir to sit on the throne.

Jer 33:20 Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;

This doesn’t mean that the throne will always be in the same place. There is a prophecy in Jeremiah that He was to take the throne and move it. God told Jeremiah,

In Jeremiah 1 :10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. He was to uproot and to move and replant. Replant what, The throne of David.

We find in History that the king of Judah, That was Zedekiah, was killed and all his sons were killed. The only way the prophecy could be fulfilled of the throne remaining in the line of David was for the royal line to continue through one of the daughters of the king.

God goes on to tell us how this throne is to be moved. He says in Ezekiel 21 that He is going to overturn the throne three times before He is done and then that throne will be set and waiting for Jesus to come and sit on the very throne of David.

Ezekiel 21; 26 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. 27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.

Where in history has this been accomplished? In England and America. When Israel said let my name be named on them He was calling Ephraim and Manassas Israel. These two nations fulfill the prophesies for this time. There is a stone of destiny or Jacob’s Piller stone which was overturned from Judah and planted in Ireland, and then overturned from Ireland to Scotland and then overturned from Scotland to England. That may not be all that is planted there. Look at what it says that the King of Babylon told the captain of the army.

Jer 39:11 ¶ Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, 12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

The key is found in these verses

2 kings 25:13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16 The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

Notice that there is no mention of the ARK of the covenant. Why? Wasn’t it in the Temple of Solomon?

2Ch 6:10 The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 11 And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.

We see that Solomon put the Ark in the temple. It doesn’t say that it was ever removed. WE must deduce that the Ark was still there when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah. A couple of conclusions come from this. Wouldn’t The captain of the army have listed it if he took it. If that is true then Jeremiah took the Ark at the same time He took the stone of destiny. He wouldn’t have mentioned it if he gave it to Jeremiah. Why would Jeremiah take only the Pillar stone of Jacob If he could do or take anything he wanted. That is what king Nebuchadnezzar said, Do what ever Jeremiah says. We know that the stone of destiny has been taken to Ireland, then Scotland and finally England. But what of the Ark?

We find evidence in the Irish book called the History of the Eminences written in 550 AD that at the hill of Tara there is something called a “Mergech” This word is a Hebrew word not Gaelic (meirge), meaning:- a temporary resting-place, or a depository, for treasure. Why would the Hebrew word Mergech be used in an Irish (Gaelic) verse, unless something Hebrew is buried there? There can be no other logical explanation for using a Hebrew word in a Gaelic verse. I have long contended that this is the final resting place of the Ark and that at the right time God will let it be found. The ramifications of finding the Ark are mind boggling. First the Jewish people would claim it and immediately start sacrificing again. This would prove Christianity. The Holy war would be immediate and devastating. There is a person who has petitioned the Irish government to excavate a two meter by two meter area at the hill of Tara in Ireland that they say is the entrance to the mergech. Once this happens be ready. But enough speculation about the Ark. Back to the overturning of the throne as the book of Ezekiel said it would be overturned, overturned and overturned.

Thus it fulfills the prophecy in Ezekiel. This stone has been set in Brittan and has sat there for centuries waiting for it’s proper ruler. If we follow history it is easy to follow. The story is fascinating and somewhat long. But worth the effort to know that we live in modern Israel at this very time. The nation called Israel at this time should rightly be called Judah, because it is full of Jews. The throne was moved to Ireland first then to Scotland and finally to England. History reveals this fact, if we are willing to look. It is a little known fact that Elizabeth queen of England when she was crowned was named queen of all the nations that Brittan had rule over. As they read the name of all the countries Brittan was in control of They included the country of Israel in that reading. It’s interesting to note that The very name British means covenant people.

And Joseph’s two grandsons were to inherit the covenant blessings that God promised Abraham. These were national blessings. Bur God says that if these people do not follow Him then He will take away those blessings. He says some terrible things will happen to these two nations if they do not repent and follow Him. Lets look and see what God says will happen to those nations. We find this back in Leviticus 25.

I’m not going to read all this but the scripture will be displayed as I go through some of these things. it says that God is going to break the pride of their power. That means to take away the pride in their military might. It says that God will take away the ability to produce abundant crops, and the fruit trees will not produce. Have any of you heard that the honey bees are disappearing, They are just disappearing and no one knows where they are going. Many more are dying. Thousands of Hives have disappeared this year and they are saying that without the honey bees to pollinate the plants that the crops will not produce. God says He will send wild beast among us to steal from us our children. Did you know that there was a news report on Missing without a trace, that said that in Arkansas alone there are three hundred missing children reports a month in Arkansas alone. God says that in the cities He will send pestilences and that eventually we will be handed over to enemies and ten women shall bake bread and we will not be satisfied. How many reports do we get today that tell us that our diets are killing us? Eventually God says that if we do not repent we will eat the flesh of our sons and daughters. That reminds me of the movie that Charlton Heston did where they were recycling people and people were eating processed food made from people. Eventually God says that He will have the cities laid waste and the remainder of the people taken into captivity and that this land will be uninhabited.

Leviticus 25:18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. 21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. 23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; 24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; 28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. 30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. 31 And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. 32 And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.\ 34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

If we look closely at history we will find that the people that took the nation of Israel captive were the Assyrians. It is prophesied that they will also bring the captivity to Israel again. That’s found in Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

We will know this kingdom as the revived Roman Empire. It is prophesied to come and will come. He will again take Israel into captivity because of Israel’s disobedience. But it won’t be for long. It is prophesied that he will rule for a short three and a half years. Then Christ will return and destroy the beast kingdom.

As we identify the nations that are Modern day Israel we can prove which nation is Judah. And because Benjamin was absorbed into Judah as was the levites we can identify three tribes here. WE can see from history and the Bible which nations are Ephraim and Manasseh called Israel today. That’s five of the original 13. We know where the tribe of Dan is because we can see where He has been. The tribe of Dan in Denmark and Ireland for History shows that the Thutha de Dannanen came to Ireland in about 700 bc, Just about the time the northern tribes went into captivity. However there are other nations which called themselves children of Israel. It is believed that modern France is Ruben. If we look we can identify positively about half the tribes of Israel beyond any doubt. What is left God knows absolutely where they are. God says that at the end time He will join the two kingdoms together again.

Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

The twelve tribes are nations and the descendents through out History are as numerous as the sand in the sea as He promised Abraham. God has a plan and He will not be denied. His will, will be done and has been done. We are so privileged above all people to know What God is doing. We are admonished to get this wonderful message out to people. Is it going to change the outcome, not at all. But it might make a difference to one. We don’t know who it will make a difference to but if it makes a difference to one isn’t it worth doing? is God going to ask us on that day Why didn’t you! And the list could be long! I certainly don’t want Him to ask me Why Didn’t you”. Do You?