Ephraim My Son
Charles Ryalls
Have you ever wondered why the Lord called you and seems to have not called someone else? Have you ever wondered why you have a natural sort of Love for Gods Chosen people, Israel, and others seem to care less or even despise them?
When the northern Kingdom was dispersed among the nations for their idolatry, they were totally absorbed into the Gentile nations and became Pagan. Yet these were not forsaken by the Lord. He said that he would sift them among the Gentiles, yet not one of them, (corn) would be lost, for He would re-gather them.
Amos 9: [9] For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
Yeshua came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He went to Samaria and preached the Good news to them and they responded. The Jews, those of Judah hated the Samarians. They would never think of preaching to them. Some of the apostles in the beginning even wanted to call down fire upon them if you remember. But the Lord has a different opinion of them. Later in the book of Acts we see a great revival breaks out following their preaching in the old northern Kingdom.
Still a vast number of Ephraimites, who are for all practical purposes considered Gentiles now, are still going to be called by the Lord. Or are being called already.
Jeremiah 31: [6] For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God. [7] For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. [8] Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. [9] They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
There are many promises concerning the regathering of BOTH houses of Israel. Could it be that the gentiles who have had this love for the Israelites, and have heard this call of God and received salvation are really the sifted Northern Kingdom whom God is regathering. If Yeshua is not Messiah who gathers both houses of Israel, then He is not the Messiah at all. For it is Gods own promise that Messiah will bring them together and mend the two sticks. And as we see Israel of Judah coming to the Lord, which is much smaller, we are compelled to ask,"Where is Ephraim?" Is it possible that those of us who feel this overwhelming urge to know, understand, and practice the ways of God as shown to us in scripture, to honor the feasts of the Lord, and have a love for the Jewish brothers, could it be that we are in fact Ephraim?
Here is a short list of prophetic things concerning Ephraim, as you read this, think of Pauls description of the gentiles who must come to fullness before all Israel can be saved:
Would become the fullness of Gentiles "Melo ha'goyim"
Would be scattered to and called from the nations of the world
Would be a multitude of people that can not be numbered
They would be called the sons of the Living God
They would proclaim the news of Gods Mercy to Judah (The Jews)
Now consider the New covenant of Jeremiah 31. The covenant is made with the house of Judah and the House of Israel (Ephraim). We know who Judah is, but Ephaim has been assimilated into the gentiles, and a great multitude of them will enter the new covenant before Judah does. The only answer that fits, is the Church, those who respond positively to Gods call, and particularly those who come to an awareness of who they are, and their connectedness to Judah, these are Ephraim. We are Ephraim, Physical Israel and heirs to Abraham. The Literal sons of Abraham are those who are called and respond in faith. Now to me it seems clear that if the feasts of God and the love for Torah are on your heart, even though you are saved by grace, it too is the call of God to His son Ephaim to come and separate yourself from the world and be the holy people you are meant to be.
Either the Church is the house of Israel, or it is not part of the new covenant. The New covenant was made with Israel and Judah.(Messianic Jews) Do you see the great hidden truth that is here? Yeshua said I have other sheep that are not part of this fold. And His message was to go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Ephraim. God said "I will call them my people who were not my people."
Here is an END TIME prophecy that is an indication of where we are on the time line, and also tells us something else about who we are. Remember that as believers we are in fact grafted into Israel, and become as one of the natural branches.
EZE 37:15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, [16] Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: [17] And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
EZE 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak
unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by
these? [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.
As we read this and other scriptures, we see that this end times regathering is of a multitude that is beyond number and comes from all the nations and even the western coast lands and the islands beyond the great sea. This can not be yet fulfilled, as the number of Jews living in Israel is still pretty small. If we take all the Jews in the world, it will only multiply that number by three. Yet the thing that is overlooked is that the larger body of these two sticks, is the house of Joseph, Ephraim. And each of these bring with them, their "fellows and companions".
Here is the strongs for "Fellows" it is the same word used as "companions". It seems to be someone who is not necessarily the same people, but who are closely knit together, or of like mind, and worship in the same way. Could this be those who are hearing the call to return to the ways of God, the Messianic Gentiles?
{2270 chaber { khaw-bare'}
from 2266; TWOT - 598c
AV - companions 7, fellow 4, knit together 1; 12
GK - 2492 { rbej;
adj
1) united
n m
2) associate, fellow, worshippers
3) companion
Enhanced Strong's Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research
Systems, Inc.) 1995.
:
EZE 37:20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. [21] And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Can the difference between the heathen, of the nations and those companions, who are gathered, have any connection other than their belief in God? Now notice that they will not practice the pagan ways of the heathens, but will follow all the statutes of God.
[22] And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: [23] Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. [24] And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. [25] And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. [26] Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. [27] My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [28] And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
This gathering is the restoration of the whole house of
Israel which has not yet happened and it is a central feature
of the end times and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
We "Gentiles" who walk in faith are in fact Ephaim and
His companions, and the companions of Judah.
Yeshua The King - Charles Ryalls Site
