The World Tomorrow

The Lost 10 Tribes

by Herbert W Armstrong

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Now, once again continuing - what's going to happen to the United States? What is prophesied? Let's continue right on now in that amazing, that vital prophecy about the United States and our future - the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah. Here is an astounding prophecy for our very people. A prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled in the very next few years. Even now, the very forces to bring this about are developing, and unrealized by the world. If you know what's going to happen, you can see this developing. But others, who see this development, don't realize where it is going to lead because they don't understand biblical prophecy. This prophecy reveals that the people of the so-called 'Lost Ten Tribes of Israel', are to be in a condition of captivity, and of terrible national tribulation at the time of the second coming of Christ.

My friends, I wonder if you realize, because practically nobody realizes it. I don't think you hear church denominations understanding it or preaching it. I don't think you'll hear it in many churches, I don't think you are going to find very many ministers or laymen, pastors or anybody, Bible students, theologians who understand, that in many, many different places in your Bible, it shows that the condition of Israel - not just Judah, not just the Jewish people - but Israel is a national captivity. Not the scattered condition of the Jewish people over the world. Not just a captivity of the nation that is now called Israel that has gone back to Palestine, the Zionist movement, not that. But prophecies that could not apply to those people or to that condition in any way, showing that there is, Israel - the Lost Ten Tribes, supposedly, and that they are as a nation in a condition of captivity and of terrible tribulation at the time of the second coming of Christ.

And that one of the very purposes of the second coming of Christ is to deliver that very people. To break the yoke that is on their neck. And that they and the Jewish people together - who are Judah - are going to then be taken together back to Palestine. Now, here is a prophecy that shows how they are going back together before we go back into the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah. Listen to this just a little bit in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah. Isaiah the fourteenth chapter;

"For the Eternal will have pity upon Jacob and once more take Israel as his own, settling them in their own country [that's back in Palestine, now I want you to notice, my friends, this is not just the return, seventy years after the Jewish captivity, which had happened in, well around 600 years before Christ. This is not the return that did happen under the time of Ezra and Nehemiah - not at all. This is nothing that has ever occurred yet, listen] For The Eternal will have pity upon Jacob and once more take Israel as his own, settling them in their own country, where foreigners shall join them and attach themselves to the household of Jacob." (Isaiah 14:1 Moffatt)

The household of Israel, or this nation now - the house of Israel, the kingdom of Israel - shall be conducted home by outside nations - by outside nations. Now, in the return under Ezra and Nehemiah, the king of the government under which they were at the time, they had been taken captive by the Chaldeans or Babylon, and then the Persians gave the decree that they could go on back. The Persians who succeeded Babylon and had conquered Babylon, or the Chaldean Empire, and they were the reigning empire of the whole world at that time and the king of the Persian Empire gave them permission to go back, but they weren't conducted by different nations. They were enabled to go, they were allowed to go, and they went back on their own power. But at this time I want you to notice;

"The household of Israel shall be conducted home by outside nations, and then Israel shall hold them as slaves in the land of the Eternal..." (Isaiah 14:2 Moffatt)

Now, that's in Palestine, and now get that, I am going to go slow enough, I want you to get this. I'm reading this incidentally, from the Moffatt translation, which is a little plainer in English than it is in the King James just here. But, it's the same thing exactly no matter which one you use. Same Bible, just a different translation and in more modern English that makes it plainer;

"The household of Israel shall be conducted home by outside nations [more than one nation] and then Israel shall hold them as slaves in the land of the Eternal [now, the nations that take them back are going to be held in Palestine as slaves. Now that didn't happen in the Exodus back there under Ezra and Nehemiah at all. It has never happened yet, so it is a prophecy, it is yet to come] thus making captives of their former captors, and ruling over their oppressors." (Isaiah 14:2 Moffatt)

The Time of Jacob's Trouble (Play from 6:18)

Now, here is a king of Babylon that had held them captive. Now, I was showing you, my friends here, in Jeremiah 31, that it's the time of Jacob's trouble that is coming, that is the Great Tribulation. And all Bible students know that this Great Tribulation is yet in the future - it is yet to come. It isn't something that happened way back there in biblical history, long, long ago. The Great Tribulation is a future event. And Jesus explains it in Matthew 24 as a time of trouble "...such as never has existed on this earth since there was a nation nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:21 paraphrased). Now, if you want the time element of it, He says that it is the time when "...except those days be shortened, no flesh should be saved [alive]." (Matthew 24:22)

In other words, a time when it's possible to annihilate human life from off the face of this planet. My friends, until in the last thirty years that has never been possible. But now it is possible to annihilate all life - human, animal and plant life from off the face of this earth. Now this is same identical time that Daniel speaks of. Remember the time of the greatest trouble that ever happened since there was a nation. Daniel says, it is the time when this man that is identified and is in modern language called Babylon will be over in Palestine and will plant, actually his capital over there in Palestine.

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince [or archangel] that standeth for the children of thy people [or Israel]: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time..." (Daniel 12:1)

You see, there can't be any two times like that, each one greater than the other, that's impossible. This is the same time that is spoken of by Jesus when "...except those times should be shortened, no flesh should be saved [alive]..." (Matthew 24:22). It's the time we are coming to right now. And listen;

"...a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time [now, at that time] thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book [yes our people in slavery are going to be delivered from that captivity and that slavery]. And many of them that sleep [now these are dead people] in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life..." (Daniel 12:1-2)

The dead in Christ are to rise first. When is that? Why at the second coming of Christ, as many other prophecies tell you. Now, here we find that same time in Jeremiah 30. And it is said here that it is a time of trouble, that day is great so that none is like it, and the greatest time of trouble that ever happened, it is the time of Jacob's trouble. Now he's going to be saved out of it, of course it says there, and in verse 8;

"And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of Hosts, that I will break the yoke from off their neck [off of Israel's neck], and I will burst their bonds [the bonds of slavery], and strangers [that's other Gentile nations] shall no more make servants of them. But they shall serve the [Eternal] their God, and David their King whom I will raise up for them." (Jeremiah 30:8-9 RSV)

You see, the dead in Christ are being resurrected at the time, Michael stands up, this time of trouble, which is Jacob's trouble, many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake and here is David among them and David is resurrected, and Jesus is coming at His second coming, He is going to break the yoke.

Now, who places that yoke on our neck? Turn real quickly back to Isaiah 47, and let me show you that it is Babylon and the king of Babylon. But it isn't the ancient king of Babylon, the 600 years before Christ, not at all. Now, Isaiah 47;

"Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon... [here is speaking of a virgin daughter of Babylon, not that ancient Babylon 600 years before Christ but, a daughter of that Babylon, and this is a female] there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate [now, verse 5]. Sit thou silent, and get thee into [the] darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms [in other words, a lady, a women that ruled over different governments and different kingdoms. Who could that be? Now notice, God said]. I was wroth with my people [that's Israel], I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand [this daughter of Babylon - into thine hand]: thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient [that is upon Israel] hast thou very heavily laid ,b>thy yoke." (Isaiah 47:1,5-6)

Now, there's the one who lays the yoke on Israel. And at the second coming of Christ, Jesus says, I will break the yoke from off their neck. And that's at the time when David will be resurrected. I will break the yoke from off their neck, this is verse eight now, back in Jeremiah 30;

"...and I will burst their bonds [that is the bonds of slavery], and strangers [that is Gentiles] shall no more make servants of them [or slaves]. But they shall serve the [Eternal] their God [because Christ will be here as King of Kings] and David their king, whom I will raise up for them." (Jeremiah 30:8-9 RSV)

Babylon The Great (Play from 12:06)

Now; "...upon [this] ancient [Israel] hast thou [this daughter of Babylon], very heavily laid thy yoke. And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to...heart, neither didst remember the...end of it." (Isaiah 47:6-7)

Now my friends, you can compare that to Revelation 18 and verse 7, and here you find the very same identical thing.

"How much she hath glorified herself [here it is in the female gender, this is the daughter of that ancient Babylon] How much she has glorified herself and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her [says God]: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow [there it is, quoted right out of Isaiah 47:7 that I just got through reading to you]. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her." (Revelation 18:7-8)

That is God's judgments, the last plagues that are poured out on this Babylon, this daughter of the ancient Babylon. Now, in verse 4;

"I heard a...voice from heaven [say], Come out of her, my people [Israel is in her - Come out of her, My people, Israel] that you be not partakers of her sins [it's not here speaking of Christians, because Christians have already come out of sin, and they have pled the blood of Jesus Christ and they are being cleansed by the blood of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit of God. So, this is carnal, national, unconverted Israel and God says], Come out of her [out of Babylon], my people that ye be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelation 18:4)

Now in verse 2, here's this angel crying with a strong voice; " ...saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit... For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication..." (Revelation 18:2-3)

A lady ruling over kingdoms, now that's only continuing right on from the seventeen chapter, so let's go back there and see what this lady is called. Here is a lady of kingdoms, and in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation, here's one of the seven angels that had the seven last plagues - her judgments - that God is pouring out on her, and this angel says;

"Come hither [to John, who recorded the book of Revelation, Come hither]; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore [now, that is a fallen women and it's a great fallen women, whatever this is, it's great and it is a fallen women] that sitteth upon many waters..." (Revelation 17:1)

Now what are those many waters? Verse 15 says, "...The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and [kings]." (Revelation 17:15)

There is a woman, a lady, a lady of kingdoms, sitting over nations and multitudes and different languages. Now;

"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [oh, here is a women that hasn't waited for Christ, to be married to Christ, the King of Kings. No, here is a woman who has married the kings of this earth. Who has committed fornication, spiritual fornication, this is spiritual language of course and its symbolical here in Revelation 17], "...the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (Revelation 17:2)

And I read to you in verse three of chapter eighteen, "All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." (Revelation 18:3)

And they are all drunk, spiritually on it until they can't see God's truth in the Bible. No wonder the Bible has been turned upside down. And is being turned upside down. No wonder the whole world is deceived by Satan the devil, and this is his agency. This women, this great fallen women, this lady of kingdoms - now what is her name? In verse four she's a women, and she's sitting on a scarlet-colored beast in verse three, and that is the kings of the earth and in verse four;

"...the women was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour... [and in verse five] ...upon her forehead was a name written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT [here is a woman, Babylon the Great], THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelation 17:5)

And in verse 8, here is the beast she rode on; "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition..." (Revelation 17:8)

The Beast is the Ancient Roman Empire (Play from 16:46)

Now, my friends, let me just identify right here that, that Beast is the ancient Roman Empire. And all Bible scholars, I think of, well let's see, I was going to say Protestant, Catholic and Jewish - I can't quite say that because the Jewish people will not accept the book of Revelation at all, but all of the others, I think, regardless of sect or denomination, it is generally regarded and understood, and in many of the commentaries and Bibles published by the different divisions that are called Christianity today, they say that this Beast is the ancient Roman Empire. Now, listen;

"The beast [or the ancient Roman Empire] that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit [yes, the ancient Roman Empire, it was, but it is not is it today? But this says that it is going to come up again - shall ascend out of the bottomless pit - that's a virtual nonexistence, and yet it has existed, the germ of it or the life somehow, it is coming back in a resurrection. And listen], and [will] go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder [oh, it's going to astound, it is going to dumbfound the people of this world - shall wonder], whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast [that's the Roman Empire] that was, and is not, and yet is." (Revelation 17:8)

Now; "..The seven heads are seven mountains [that is seven nations or dynasties or governments], on which the woman sitteth [now]....there are seven kings: five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come [And you can show, my friends, if you know your history, the five are fallen. That wound up with the one who met his Waterloo - Napoleon! He was the last one of the five that are fallen. And, there's one more now yet now to come. Even that sixth one has come now, and there one more, a seventh yet to come]; And when he comes, he must continue a short space." (Revelation 17:9-10)

It won't last very long. Now;

"And the ten horns... [that were on this beast, there were ten horns on this beast - they are ten kings] ...ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast." (Revelation 17:12)

Therefore, they are dictators and that's only one hour, a very, very short time. Because this is only going to continue a short space, when it comes. Now mark this, that after this resurrection - after this resurrection of the Roman Empire, by ten dictatorships or by ten nations, over there in the general territory of Europe and around the Mediterranean, of the ancient Roman Empire - it is coming again to life according to this prophecy. And it's only going to last a very short time when it does. Now, how is it going to come to its end? Listen;

"These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast [that's military power, unto the beast, now not to the woman that rode it, but to the beast]. These shall make war with the Lamb [that's Christ] and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. And they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (Revelation 17:13-14)

Now, they are going to make war with Christ, He is not Lord of Lords, He is not King of Kings, until the time of His second coming. And so, this says they are going to fight Christ at His second coming. This power will only exist a very short time, it will come to its end at the second coming of Christ, therefore it cannot be resurrected until a very short time just before the second coming of Christ. Now do you see?

And here is this woman called Babylon. The lady of kingdoms, and in verse 18; "...the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:18)

Or, has a kingdom over the kings of the earth. There you are. Now, that's the daughter of the ancient Babylon. And that, my friends, is the power that is to take captive modern Israel. And my friends, we are the descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes, we are their people in this generation, believe it or not.

God Will Save His People (Play from 21:23)

My friends, God has given us the greatest physical power, the greatest resources, the greatest amount of luxury in everything that wealth, and material wealth, and material and national blessings can give, that any nation has ever had in the history of this world, because Abraham obeyed God and kept His commandments, His statutes and His laws. Once again, let me tell you, if you don't understand our identity and know who we are in Bible prophecy. It's the most shocking thing you ever read. It's so shocking that most people say 'Oh, that just couldn't be true!' And you'll find that a lot of them without honest investigation just sneer, they just laugh, they ridicule, they just say, 'Oh, that's just modern fanaticism!' My friends, it's a challenge. Get our booklet 'United States in Prophecy.' Read this in your Bible and you will read there the most astounding thing that you have ever read. You cannot understand your Bible, you are ignorant of your Bible, you're ignorant of prophecy unless you know this key, this truth that is the key that will unlock prophecy, so that you can understand it.

Now, here it is. We are the people and that yoke is to be on us. And so, I've been reading you, my friends, how God has said; "...I will save thee from afar, and thy seed [from where?] from the land of their captivity..." (Jeremiah 30:10)

From the land of their captivity! The Jewish people, my friends, are scattered all over the earth. This is not referring to a captivity of just those people there.

But God says, "...I am with thee, saith the [Eternal], to save thee [I'm still in the thirtieth chapter, now again, in the eleventh verse]: to save thee: though I make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee [with judgment], and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:11)

We have lessons to learn as I have been telling you. God is going to punish, He is going to chasten us my friends until we learn our lessons so we can be happy, so our land can be rid of its insane asylums and its hospitals, and its jails and its prisons, and until we get ourselves cleaned up. And until we get rid, for instance, of this divorce and remarriage national evil that is breaking up about one home in three in the United States. I tell you, my friends, we lead the world in crime - just go get the statistics. Go buy a world almanac on the newsstand or in a bookstore and just look at the crimes. Compare them with those of other nations. There is more crime, there is more of that sort of thing, going on and more sin right here in America than any place on earth and God is going to punish! And God has pled with our people with preaching, He's pleading with you right now, my friends, through my voice. And millions are hearing it. But I know, my friends, that most of you will not heed. But God is going to send the kind of preaching to you, the kind of physical punishment that will be heeded. Yes, it will. And, the prophecy is for the latter days, right now, the last verse of the thirtieth chapter. And He says He's going to chastise us with "a cruel one for the multitude of thine iniquity because thy sins were increased" (Jeremiah 20:14). We are doing the things that are evil and are sin in the eyes of the Eternal. But things that we say are good and right and alright in our own eyes. We say, 'Well we don't see any harm in it!'

Now, finally, verse twelve, the thirty-first chapter, Jeremiah 31, well let's begin with verse 10; "Hear the word of the [Eternal], O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off." (Jeremiah 31:10)

And I have read to you where this is to be proclaimed in the chief of the nations in verse seven;

"...Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Eternal, save thy people, the remnant of Israel." (Jeremiah 31:7)

The last generation of this age, the very generation that goes into the second coming of Christ. We are that people, we are that time, my friends. I know you have not heard anything like this before. I know how strange, how shocking this is to your ears but I want to tell you, my friends, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF THIS HOUR - FOR THE WHOLE WORLD, - this is most important message that has ever been shouted in the United States of America. And you better open up your ears and heed, because this is the very word of God. I'm giving you, 'Thus saith the Lord,' for every word of it and it's as certain as the rising and setting of the sun. Listen;

"For the [Eternal] has redeemed Jacob..." (Jeremiah 31:11)

That's at the second coming of Christ. Here it is; "...declare it in the isles a far off [yes, the British Isles], and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd doeth his flock." (Jeremiah 31:10)

Now, at the time of the time of the second coming of Christ, we're going to be gathered. We're going to be into a time of captivity if we don't wake up, if we don't repent, if we don't return to our God.

"For the [Eternal] hath redeemed Jacob [that's speaking of Christ at His second coming, hath redeemed Jacob,] and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he." (Jeremiah 31:11)

I would like to read that to you in the Moffatt translation, that eleventh verse, verse 11, in the Moffat translation; "For the Eternal has set Jacob free, and rescued him from a stronger power." (Jeremiah 31:11 Moffatt)

That's that power I just read to you about and I want to tell you, my friends, it's forming right now over in Europe. It is a blitzkrieg; it is a lightening-fast type of war-making machine that works so much more rapidly, so much faster than the Communists. The Communists are planning to invade and conquer the United States - of course they are - But they are slow moving. And they are not going to make it, my friends, until after another power that I've just been reading to you in the prophecies of God Almighty, will have arisen rapidly, so fast when it comes it will just take the breath of the world. You're going to be shocked! The people don't know it's coming, but we know the sure word of prophecy and what is coming on this world. And listen, we're going to be rescued from a hand that is stronger than ours.

" Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the [Eternal], for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock of the herd... [and so on] Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance..." (Jeremiah 31:12-13)

And then as we read over here in Jeremiah the fiftieth chapter;

"In those days, and in that time, saith the [Eternal], the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the [Eternal] their God." (Jeremiah 50:4)

That's Christ, when He's here, in person. Israel and Judah together. Judah is the Jewish people, my friends, this has been speaking of another people. Not Judah, not the Jewish people, but Israel, the House of Israel that has been called 'The Lost Ten Tribes.' They have been lost. Yes, but we know who they and where they are.