From: Ephraim & Rimona Frank [mailto:shevet@netvision.net.il]
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject:Two Witnesses
The Two Witnesses: Ephraim and Judah
Shalom Fellow Israelite,
In the past few weeks I have been taking part in several meetings of
Yair Davidi's Brit Am (which involves several orthodox Jews who support
Yair in his research on the Ten Lost Tribes). Dialoging with the
participants in these meetings and reading Yair's books have all been
giving me a better understanding of how the House of Yehuda views
Ephraim.
The resulting observations have caused me to do a lot of mental
searching as to my present position on the Two House concept. At this
point in time examining this notion is like looking at a beautiful
landscape during a fog. I am finding that nothing can be taken for
granted. That is to say, we all have different opinions and varying
interpretations of what we see, understand and communicate. My
descriptions, therefore, of the phenomenon are solely from my own
perspective without claiming to represent Brit Am, or any of the people
associated with it.
As mentioned in last week's letter, we must step back and view anew the
Two Houses of Israel. They are two separate and distinct witnesses out
of the House of Ya'acov, having each his own peculiar character and
expression, which the Almighty Creator caused to be ingrained in them
over three thousand years of history. They/we are not going to change
overnight and this means that we must find a path of communication in
order to begin to understand each other from our present and respective
vantage points. The best place to begin, of course, would be with the
Scriptures themselves. However, the destiny of the Two Houses, if it is
indeed a truth and not a theory, should also be seen in the annals of
history. There are those who spurn works like Yair's, because they think
that the only witness necessary is the spiritual or heavenly one. But
according to YHVH's justice system there must always be two witnesses,
as seen just before the twelve tribes entered the land, during which
time He called heaven and earth to bear witness to the word He was
giving to Israel.
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will
soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to
possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly
destroyed. And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will
be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you.
And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone,
which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. "But from there you will
seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all
your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all
these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD
your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God),
He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your
fathers which He swore to them" (Deut. 4:26-31).
The heavens and the earth were to bear witness to this awesome
prophecy. It hardly seemed fair to YHVH's chosen nation. They had
not even entered the land, neither have they been given a chance to
be obedient to the commands or ordnances of the Torah, and lo, their
predetermined destiny had already been determined and sealed by the
testimony of the heavens and the earth!
Many years later the prophet Isaiah picked up the theme of this earlier
prophecy, and affirmed the reality of YHVH's creation as His two
witnesses. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For YHVH has spoken:
"I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled
against Me" (Is. 1:2).
Just as the heavens and the earth are to bear witness against the twelve
tribes of Israel, so has YHVH chosen the two witnesses from the house of
Ya'acov to bear His testimony before all the nations of the earth. He
divided the twelve tribes into two houses, Yehuda and Ephraim (the
latter being the prophetic and generic term for the house of Joseph,
which is made up of the Ten Lost Tribes). They each have their own
testimony that will go down in man's history. Just as it is written...
"Then those who feared YHVH spoke to one another, And YHVH listened and
heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those
who fear YHVH and who meditate on His name." (Mal. 3:16).
At this time there is, I believe, a remnant out of Yehuda and Ephraim
which has this holy reverence, or fear of YHVH. This deep-felt
attitude of worship is the driving force motivating those involved to
look across the annals of history, and to reach out the right hand of
fellowship and begin a process of "speaking to one another", and
repenting of the previous relationship marked by strife, contention,
enmity, hatred and murder.
Our chronicles are bathed in love, but more so in hate. Isaiah foretold
that there would come a day when YHVH Elohim would "set up a banner for
the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather
together the dispersed of Judah, from the four corners of the earth. And
that the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah
shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not
harass Ephraim" (Isa. 11:12-13). Has this day arrived in the generation
you and I are living in?
The House of Ya'acov (Israel and Yehuda) belongs to YHVH for His
purposes. The Torah asserts that anything that belongs to YHVH is holy.
Thus, we sin against Him and defile His name when we touch that which is
holy unto Him in an unworthy manner. I hope we will learn to walk
circumspectly when reaching out our hand to touch the people whom YHVH
has declared to be His inheritance. We can defiled His Holy Name, not by
how we pronounce or utter it with our lips and tongue, but by our heart
of pride and self-righteousness. The prophets of Israel were not only
called to prophecy future events, but were mostly anointed for the task
of calling the people to repentance. This was not an exclusive
'ministry' to only one of the houses, but to both Yehuda and Ephraim.
Repentance does not mean that Ephraim is to become Jewish, or even take
on some Jewish 'traits', nor that Yehuda is to convert to some form of
Christianity. This is not what constitutes repentance in the eyes of
our mutual Elohim. We have forsaken our relationship with our Husband
and King, defiling His most holy name and as a result, just as it was
prophesied, "You will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and
stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell" (Deut. 4:28). "And
now, Ephraim and Judah, what does YHVH your Elohim require of you, but
to fear YHVH your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to
serve YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul,
(Deut.10:12).
Let us take the hand of our brother, in the fear of YHVH, that we not
profane His Holy Name.
Shabbat Shalom
Shevet Achim
Ephraim Frank
Elon Moreh, Israel
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in
unity, (Ps. 133)
NOTE FROM EDDIE:
It is still not too late to study and research this subject in
greater detail through the August / September BLOWOUT special where
HHMI is offering Yair Davidi's two books: "Ephraim" and "Joseph" PLUS
two other books on the Orthodox Jewish view of the Messiah for $39
postage paid. This Orthodox Jewish blowout book offer is a PACKAGE
deal. Yair retails a single issue copy of each book for $30 each.
The retail value of the Orthodox Jewish books on the Messiah is $15
plus the value of shipping. Therefore, $39 postage paid truly is a
BLOWOUT book offer!
Furthermore, this blowout special also includes four books to
study this subject from a Hebraic / Messianic Israelite perspective.
These four books are 'Who is Israel', 'Restoring Israel's Kingdom',
'The Truth about All Israel' and 'Restoring the Two Houses of
Israel'. These four books are $44 postage paid or $11 each per book.
The Hebraic / Messianic books are available as a package or as single
books.
Of course, all 8 books are $83 postage paid.
You will be spiritually blessed and enriched when you study this
VITAL subject because it relates to the end of days, the dawn of the
Messianic Era and the coming of King Messiah. HHMI is doing everthing
we can to encourage and help you to study this subject. By taking
advantage of this opportunity, you will be spiritually blessed!
Please make your checks / money orders out to (Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l)
and send to:
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
PO Box 81
Strasburg, Ohio, USA 44680
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
END OF NOTE
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