The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 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: And join them one to another into
one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the
children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not
shew us what thou _meanest_ by these? 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. And the sticks whereon
thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 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 I will
gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land; 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. My tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen
shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary
shall be in the midst of them for evermore (verses 15-28).
The prophet is next commanded to demonstrate another coming event for
God's ancient people by a symbolical action. He was to take a stick and
write on it "for Judah and for the children of Israel his companions."
On the second stick, he was to write, "for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim,
and for all the house of Israel his companions." He was then to join the
two sticks so that they became one in his hand. It denotes the reunion
of the house of Judah with the house of Israel. The sad division of the
nation will end and both will be in His hand one, symbolical of the
royal rod or sceptre, which will be in the hand of the Lord in the midst
of His redeemed people. The Lord will do all this. "Behold I will take
the children of Israel from among the nations whither they be gone, and
will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. 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 no more be two
nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at
all." The house of Israel never returned from the captivity; only a
remnant of Judah came back. Since then they have been termed "the lost
tribes," though this term is incorrect, for the Epistle of James is
addressed to the twelve tribes of Israel. Nothing is lost with God. They
are hidden rather, and the time will come when the enigma of the two
tribes will be solved. Attempts have been made to locate them but all
have failed. The Anglo-Israel theory (that England and America are the
lost tribes) is so ridiculous and fantastic that it merits not even an
investigation. God has kept track of them, and when this promised
restoration takes place they will be brought to light. Then, reunited as
they were under David and Solomon, they will have one King over them.
This King is foreshadowed by both David and his son Solomon. As King he
is called, "David, my servant," who will be the One Shepherd. And "my
servant David, their prince forever." It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the
son of David, the true and greater Solomon, the Prince of Peace. How
obvious it is that all this does not mean the church. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the head of the church in glory, but He is also the King of
Israel. When the restoration takes place the angelic message finds its
blessed fulfillment: "The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His
father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of
His Kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke i:32-37). But how can anyone
believe that the words of promise given through Ezekiel have no future
meaning for the seed of Abraham? Has Israel ever been restored as
announced in these words? Have they ever been saved as promised in verse
23? Have they ever walked as a nation in perfect obedience, as stated in
the words, "They shall also walk in My judgments, and observe my
statutes and do them." And verse 25 promises an abiding dwelling in
their land which at this time they do not yet possess. It is the
sanctuary of the Lord set up in their midst.
Only when our Lord returns will all this be accomplished. Then will it
be true, "My tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their
God and they shall be My people."