Two House Teaching of Scripture

The Two House Teaching of Scripture

We live in a world today that largely views the “church” and the “Jews” as separate entities. Much of Christianity teaches that the “church” has replaced Israel, and views Israel and the Jews as being the same. The teaching of the “two houses” in Messianic Judaism has created much controversy. Many view this teaching as a form of replacement theology. But what does scripture say?

We at Bondservant Fellowship believe in the scriptural teaching of the two houses of Israel… Israel/Ephraim and Judah. I did not understand until recently how much controversy there is over this subject.

Recently there was an incident when a Messianic Musician refused to come to our fellowship because we believe in the two houses. I realized then that there is much misunderstanding about the two house teaching, and that there is much teaching about the two houses that is not scriptural.

So that brings us back again to the question… what does scripture say? Are there two “houses” of Israel? If so, who are they? Are we as believers in Yeshua, part of one of the houses? What are some of the erroneous teachings that are being put forth today, and how do we address them?

I want to address these questions so we will have a solid understanding of scripture, and what the truth is about the two houses of Israel. My prayer is that those that are opposed to the “two house” teaching will join us in searching scripture, and that together we can come to an accurate understanding of Yahweh’s word on this subject. I also pray that with this understanding we can begin to tear down the divisions that have been raised among us, and that we can join together as brothers and sisters in Yeshua.

During this study, I want to look at:

- The history of the 12 tribes of Israel

- How the tribes were dispersed into the nations

- Where they are now

- Their future regathering

- Whether we as believers in Messiah Yeshua are part of Israel

- Some of the concerns of the “two house teaching” within Messianic Judaism.

The History Of The Tribes

Let’s begin with Abram/Abraham.

In Genesis 12, when Abraham first hears from the Yahweh at age 75, he is told to leave Haran in northern Mesopotamia and go south to what was then known as the land of Canaan.

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you;

Gen 12:2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

Gen 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Here Yahweh makes some very important promises to Abraham, including the promise that He will make him into a great nation, and in him all the families of the earth will be blessed. This occurs not long after the tower of Babel incident, when Yahweh confounded the speech of all the people of the earth, so that they no longer spoke the same language. He scattered them abroad on the whole earth at that time. The people of the earth had desired to ascend up to heaven where Yahweh’s throne is, as Satan wanted to. But Yahweh put a stop to that. He chose Abraham to be the one to bring His blessings, and eventually His restoration, to those scattered peoples. Let’s take a look at the tower of Babel incident:

Gen 11:5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

Gen 11:6 The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.

Gen 11:7 "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."

Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.

Gen 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Keep in mind the fact that Yahweh scattered them abroad over the face of the earth. That is what He will do again later to Israel and Judah, the descendants of Abraham, for their disobedience!

Yahweh divided the “nation”, if you will, that existed at that time and scattered them over the whole earth. He then told Abraham that He would make him (Abraham) a great nation. So here we have a picture of many different peoples scattered over the earth speaking different languages, with Abraham being called to be a blessing to all the families of the earth.

Let’s look at Genesis 12 again, continuing on a few verses:

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you;

Gen 12:2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

Gen 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Gen 12:4 So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Gen 12:5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

Gen 12:6 Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.

Gen 12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

“United Israel World Union” www.unitedisrael.org:

“Here we find the beginnings of what we might call the SEED and SOIL promises. In other words, the plan of redemption, which God inaugurates here through Abraham, involves two fundamental components—the promises of offspring and land. Shortly thereafter, when Abraham arrives in the land of Canaan the LORD (YHVH) appears to him a second time and declares to him: “To your seed I will give this Land” (12:7), again summarizing the two indispensible components of the Redemptive Plan through Abraham. It is to involve a specific group of his lineal descendants and their strategic possession of a specific Land.

As one reads through the subsequent chapters of Genesis which chronicle the life of Abraham, God continues to appear to him over a 25 year period and He repeatedly reaffirms these promises. These two essential elements, offspring and land, emerge with unequivocal clarity. Although other children of Abraham are to be blessed, the offspring who are to fulfill these initial seven promises are to come only through Isaac, born by his wife Sarah.”

In this study, we are going to concentrate mainly on who this “seed” is, who comes through Isaac:

Gen 21:9 Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.

Gen 21:10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac."

Gen 21:11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.

Gen 21:12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. (KJV-seed be called)

Gen 21:13 "And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant."

The word for “named” above is:

H7121 קרא qa^ra^'

BDB Definition:

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow

1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to call oneself

1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named

1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

a primitive root

So Abraham’s descendants through Isaac are called out ones; they are invited; and they are chosen.

Abraham’s descendants are also to become:

- As the dust of the earth

- As the stars in the sky

(These first two promises are given before Isaac is born)

-As the sand on the seashore

As the dust of the earth:

Gen 13:14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

Gen 13:15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.

Gen 13:16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.

As the stars in the sky:

Gen 15:3 And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir."

Gen 15:4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."

Gen 15:5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to

count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."

Gen 15:6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

In Genesis 16, Ishmael is born. Hagar is told that her descendants will be too numerous to count.

In Genesis 21, Isaac is born.

As the sand on the seashore:

Gen 22:15 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,

Gen 22:16 and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,

Gen 22:17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.

Gen 22:18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

These descendants are to become so numerous that Abraham is called not just the father of a great nation, but the father of many nations.

From now on, we will see the promise of a multitude of descendants follow down from Abram/Abraham to Isaac to Jacob/Israel, and then through his descendants. Let’s trace this progression, starting with Abram/Abraham:

Gen 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

Gen 17:2 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."

Gen 17:3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,

Gen 17:4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Gen 17:5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Gen 17:6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

Gen 17:7 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Gen 17:8 "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

Gen 17:9 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

The Hebrew word here (in verse 4 for “multitude”) means a “crowd” or “bustling tumult”.

H1995 המן / המון ha^mo^n

BDB Definition:

1) (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound

1a) sound, murmur, rush, roar

1b) tumult, confusion

1c) crowd, multitude

1d) great number, abundance

1e) abundance, wealth

Part of Speech: noun masculine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H1993

H1993 המה ha^ma^h

BDB Definition:

1) to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to growl

1a2) to murmur (figuratively of a soul in prayer)

1a3) to roar

1a4) to be in a stir, be in a commotion

1a5) to be boisterous, be turbulent

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root [compare H1949]

The word for “nations” above is:

H1471 גּי / גּוי go^y

BDB Definition:

1) nation, people (noun masculine)

1a) nation, people

1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people

1a2) of descendants of Abraham

1a3) of Israel

1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (figuratively)

1c) Goyim? = “nations” (noun proper masculine)

Part of Speech: see above in Definition

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: apparently from the same root as H1465

You can trace H1465 to H1460 to H1342

(H1342 being the root word):

H1342 גּאה ga^'a^h

BDB Definition:

1) to rise up, grow up, be exalted in triumph

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to rise up

1a2) to grow up

1a3) to be lifted up, be raised up, be exalted

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

So the phrase “multitude of nations” in Genesis 17:4

("As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.)

means a “bustling tumult of peoples that will be lifted up or exalted.”

The promises that we have seen so far…

- Establishing Yahweh’s covenant

- Making the descendants in to a multitude of nations

- The promise of the land

are repeated, first to Isaac, and later to his son Jacob, who receives both the birthright and the blessing.

Gen 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.

Gen 26:2 The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.

Gen 26:3 "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.

Gen 26:4 "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

Gen 26:5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws."

We see Isaac given the promise of the land, the multitude of descendants, and the covenant, “because Abraham obeyed Me…”

The words used for the phrase “multitude of nations” (hamon goy) that was first used with Abraham, changes as Jacob is blessed, and again when Yahweh changes Jacob’s name to Israel. They will change yet again when Jacob blesses Ephraim. Remember, Yahweh told Abraham that he would be the father of a “multitude of nations”. The words used there were “hamon goy”, which means a roaring, bustling tumult of nations that will be raised up or exalted. Let’s see how these words change:

Gen 28:1 So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.

Gen 28:2 "Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.

Gen 28:3 "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.

Gen 28:4 "May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham."

We see the promise of descendants and land reiterated here.

Here the word for “company” above is:

H6951 קהל qa^ha^l

BDB Definition:

1) assembly, company, congregation, convocation

1a) assembly

1a1) for evil counsel, war or invasion, religious purposes

1b) company (of returning exiles)

1c) congregation

1c1) as organized body

Part of Speech: noun masculine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H6950

H6950 קהל qa^hal

BDB Definition:

1) to assemble, gather

1a) (Niphal) to assemble

1a1) for religious reasons

1a2) for political reasons

1b) (Hiphil) to summon an assembly

1b1) for war, judgment

1b2) for religious purposes

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

The word for “peoples” above is:

H5971 עם ‛am

BDB Definition:

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one’s people, compatriots, country-men

2) kinsman, kindred

Part of Speech: noun masculine

So the phrase means “an assembly or congregation, possibly religious, of kindred people.” That’s quite a difference from Abraham’s definition of “a roaring tumult of peoples that will be lifted up or exalted“.

Years later, when Jacob’s name has been changed to Israel, he is told that his descendants will be a company of nations. Let’s see what words are used there:

Gen 35:10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name." Thus He called him Israel.

Gen 35:11 God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you.

Gen 35:12 "The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you."

Here is the promise of descendants and land again.

The word for “company” is qahal, which we saw above means a congregation or assembly, possible for religious reasons.

The word for nations is “goy” again, which means nations or peoples that will be lifted up or exalted. We will see the progression of this phrase as we continue.

So far we have seen:

- The promise to Abraham to become the father of many nations

- In Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed

- Abraham’s offspring will inherit the land

- Abraham’s descendants will be named (called) through Isaac

- Abrahams descendants will be as the stars in the sky, the dust of the earth, and the sand of the seashore.

- These promises are reiterated to Isaac and Jacob/Israel

Jacob/Israel had twelve sons that became heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. For the purpose of this study, we will concentrate mainly on the tribes of Judah and Joseph/Ephraim.

Reuben: “Behold a son”

Simeon: “Heard”

Levi: “Joined to”

Judah: “Praise”

Dan: “Judge”

Naphtali: “Wrestling”

Gad: “Troop”

Asher: “Happy”

Issachar: “There is recompense”

Zebulun: “Exalted”

Joseph: “Jehovah has added”

Benjamin: “Son of the right hand”

We’ve seen the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel of the offspring and the land. Now let’s continue on through Joseph.

Let’s start with the meaning of the name Joseph:

H3130 יוסף yo^se^ph

BDB Definition:

Joseph = “Jehovah has added”

1) the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel

Part of Speech: noun proper masculine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: future of H3254

H3254 יסף ya^saph

BDB Definition:

1) to add, increase, do again

1a) (Qal) to add, increase, do again

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to join, join oneself to

1b2) to be joined, be added to

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to add, increase

1c2) to do more, do again

Part of Speech: verb

a primitive root

Joseph means adding, increasing, joining to (Yahweh).

Continuing on with Joseph’s line…

Gen 41:50 Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.

Gen 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."

Gen 41:52 He named the second Ephraim, "For," he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

Years later, Jacob/Israel blesses Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. The blessing on the sons is extremely significant and prophetic:

Gen 48:1 Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, "Behold, your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

Gen 48:2 When it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you," Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed.

Gen 48:3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me,

Gen 48:4 and He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, (“qahal am“, the phrase that was used for Jacob before his name was changed to Israel) and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.'

Gen 48:5 "Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.

Gen 48:6 "But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

Gen 48:7 "Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

Gen 48:8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?"

Gen 48:9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." So he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them."

Gen 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

Gen 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well."

Gen 48:12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground.

Gen 48:13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them close to him.

Gen 48:14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

Gen 48:15 He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

Gen 48:16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Gen 48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

Gen 48:18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head."

Gen 48:19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

Gen 48:20 He blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Gen 48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Gen 48:22 "I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow."

This is an extremely important prophecy, and I encourage you to study it in depth for yourself. We now see the promise that was given to Abraham of becoming a multitude of nations continuing through Ephraim. Note however, that the promise of the land is not spoken over Ephraim. The promise of the land is for all Israel, not just those descended from Ephraim.

Ephraim’s descendants will become a “multitude of nations”. Manasseh will also become a “multitude”, but Ephraim was put before Manasseh. Remember that Ishmael’s descendants will be too numerous to count. No doubt, the others of the twelve tribes will have many descendants, but the emphasis has been put on Ephraim.

We see something interesting in the words used above for “multitude”. The first use of the word “multitude” (Gen 48:16) is referring to both Manasseh and Ephraim.

The Hebrew word is:

H7230 רב ro^b

BDB Definition:

1) multitude, abundance, greatness

1a) multitude

1a1) abundance, abundantly

1a2) numerous

1b) greatness

Part of Speech: noun masculine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H7231

H7231 רבב ra^bab

BDB Definition:

1) to be or become many, be or become much, be or become great

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be or become many

1a2) to be or become great

1a3) to be long (of journey)

2) (Pual) ten thousands

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

The word indicates becoming numerous and great. “Great” not necessarily as “important” but as “numerous” Obviously, there will be many peoples descended from Manasseh, not just Ephraim. Abraham was to be the father of MANY nations, which includes the descendants of as 12 tribes of Israel as well as Ishmael’s descendants.

Now let’s look at that phrase that appears again as “multitude of nations” in Gen 48:19, when Jacob is blessing Ephraim:

The word here for “multitude” is:

H4393 מלו / מלוא / מלא melo^' / melo^

BDB Definition:

1) fulness, that which fills

1a) fulness, handful

1b) mass, multitude

1c) fulness, that which fills, entire contents

1d) full length, full line

Part of Speech: noun masculine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H4390

H4390 מלא / מלא