Israel is a people, not a place.
Most people today attend church with the intention of learning more about Jesus and his message for Christians. They also may attend Bible study with the intention of furthering their knowledge of the holy scriptures to try to live a more Christian life and hopefully spend eternity in heaven. But we must always keep in mind that we live in a world that is controlled by the Great Deceiver, and if we want to learn the truth we must take the time to check out the information we are being told. Christian educators tell us that Jesus was the son of a Jewish carpenter, and that he came to bring "peace on Earth." The Bible however, actually tells a much different story.
"And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that
all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city
of David, which is called Bethlehem."
Luke 2:1-4 KJV
It is taught that Jesus was Jewish because his father Joseph was Jewish. But Joseph traveled to his hometown of Bethlehem to be counted in the Roman census. When Herod heard that a king of the Jews had just been born in Bethlehem, he sent soldiers to kill all the children 2 years of age and under in the town of Bethlehem to eliminate the baby Jesus. Strangely, it is Rachel who weeps over the children, not Leah, and Rachel is mother of Joseph, not Judah, so the children Herod's troops were killing weren't Jewish.
"In Ramah (Ramla) was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Matt. 2:18 KJV
In the time of Jesus, the three tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and Benjamin, occupied the various towns surrounding Jerusalem, and the town of Bethlehem was occupied by the blessed tribe of Ephraim. God's blessing was passed down from father to son along the Hebrew bloodline from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to Joseph, and finally from Joseph to Ephraim.
Secondly, both Matthew and Luke list Joseph's lineage from Abraham down through Judah to Joseph, but the lists are not the same. So who's right? Maybe neither. And we can be sure that no member of the tribe of Judah would name his son by using the name of another tribe. It does not matter anyway, because Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. Remember, Mary was already pregnant before she married Joseph.
We may also want to take note of the fact that it appears Mary was also a descendent of Joseph. It is thought that during his teen years Jesus sailed aboard vessels owned by Mary's uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, exploring many nations, such as England (tin), India (textiles and jewelry), and cities on the Mediterrean coast. This gave Jesus an opportunity to learn much about the ancient Roman world. It is also thought that on a trip to England Jesus might have planted the seeds of Christianity in the town of Glastonbury.
Some people think Jesus was Jewish because his parents circumcised him. But the fact is that all twelve tribes went to Synagogue and circumcised their children in ancient Israel, and circumcision was indeed practiced by many Bedouins in the Middle East long before the Jews arrived.
And all this talk about Jesus coming to bring peace on Earth is in direct opposition to what Jesus himself told us in Luke 12:51-53, where he clearly states that he did not come to bring peace, but instead came to bring division:
"Suppose ye that I came to bring peace on earth. I tell you NO, but division!
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two,
and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son
against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against
the mother, the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in
law against her mother in law."
Luke 12:51-53 KJV
So while Jesus may still be Jewish, it apparently is not because of his parental bloodline. Jesus cursed the Jewish leaders because they'd turned from the worship of God to the worship of wealth. He also said in a parable that those who killed the "son of the Lord of the vineyard" would have the Kingdom of God removed from them and given to a nation "bringing forth the fruits thereof." The sons of Judah suffered the fate of those in the parable of Matthew 12:9, and thus their claim to God's vineyard was taken away from them and given to another "fruitful" nation, the nation of Ephraim, which means "fruitful". And so Ephraim was destined to become the most powerful nation on Earth.
DECEPTION: Bible evidence supports Joseph coming from the line of Judah.
THE TRUTH: Bible evidence supports Joseph coming from the line of Joseph.
If you want to know the truth, you'll have to glean it directly from the Hebrew prophets, and not from church leaders who preach their personal views on the message of the Scriptures. It's unfortunate that although it's the most widely distributed book on the planet, the Bible is also the most read but least understood book as well. Most people rely on their religious leaders when it comes to understanding scripture, or they study Bible scriptures using other books written to influence their reading experience. Remember, the prophets are the only reliable source of truth when it comes to understanding the Bible.
You live in a world controlled by the Great Deceiver, and lies and deceptions flow from every source including the media, our school systems, and yes, even our churches. Don't be deceived. The only way to learn the truth is from the only source of truth, the Hebrew prophets who are God's voice here on Earth. If you want to take your first step toward learning God's truth that can free you from deception, simply click one of the secure book links on this webpage to order your book by Edward Oliver, and begin learning the truth from the word of the prophets.
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