WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
October 31, 2010
Number 09
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Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 4

Jews (cont.)
As was mentioned in the October third bulletin, the term
“Jew” in the beginning had reference to those of the Southern
Kingdom. Those of Judah, hence the name “Jew.”

The two kingdoms became one kingdom by being
assimilated into one captivity. The change of power between the
kingdoms of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Medo-Persians
brought the remnant of God’s people under one king and in one
kingdom. Therefore, when Cyrus gave the decree, “Thus saith
Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all
the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an
house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of
all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to
Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD
God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem” (Ezr. 1:2-3);
his statement: “all His people” (who were living among the
Persians in Persian land) included both the people of Israel and
Judah who lived under Persian rule.

Further evidence of God’s reuniting of His people into one
nation is seen in verses from the pens of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
God declared by Jeremiah that He would bring Israel (the Northern
Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom) together as one,
“And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel
to return, and will build them, as at the first” (Jer. 33:7). Notice also what
God said through Ezekiel, “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: 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” (Eze. 37: 21-22). Ezekiel also wrote, “And I will multiply
men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities
shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will
multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and
bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do
better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I
am the LORD” (Eze. 36:10-11). God promised that the house of
Israel “all of it” would return and that the “old estates” again
would be inhabited. Both Judah and Israel would return to their
land and all the tribes would dwell in the land of Israel as in the
times before the captivity.

God also promised, “Behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised
unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days,
and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow
up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in
the land” (Jer. 33:14-15). The promise of the coming of the Christ
would be fulfilled to both Israel and Judah as one people and in
their own land. The coming of the Christ would transpire in about
586 years from the time of the writing of Jeremiah chapter 33. That
time would be the time period of the Gospel accounts of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John. If the Christ came then Judah and Israel
returned to their land! The Christ came, “For unto you is born this
day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke
2:11); therefore, Israel and Judah both returned to the land of Israel.

When would this returning begin? Notice once more the
decree of Cyrus, “Who is there among you of all his people…And
whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth…” (Ezr.
1:3-4). The time of the beginning of the return of all Israel to
Palestine was at the time of Cyrus’ decree. – John

This week’s article proves that all the tribes of Israel
returned to the land of Israel. This is also a refutation of the
premillennial doctrine of the ten “lost” tribes of Israel. Wherein
they say that only Judah returned and that Israel will return to the
land only in their so-called “literial thousand year reign of Christ
on the earth.” Their doctrine could not be more false!

This article helps us to see the transition of the name Jew:
from Judah to all Israel; especially as we look at the New
Testament use of the word “Jew” and how it is used today.