"Lost" tribe of Manasseh given go-ahead for return to Israel

I'd written on June 27 about the "lost" tribe of Manasseh were captured by the Assyrians and carted off in the 8th century BC. They are now living in the far hinterlands of northeast India, near Burma, and have for 2700 years practiced the Jewish faith precisely as the original tribe did when they were captured.

For several years now, a representative has been appealing for aliyah, being allowed to return, en masse. They were making good progress until a few years ago when previous Prime Minister Ehud Barak inexplicably stopped all petitions and refused to hear them. In June of this year they had another meeting which was better received. The Rabbinical council acknowledged that this group is of the Manasseh tribe, and all that then remained was the go-ahead for the process to begin for them to return to Israel. That permission was granted this week.

Resolution to Bring Bnei Menashe Home
"The government has decided to draft a resolution to bring India's Bnei Menashe populace home to Israel, after years of lobbying by the Shavei Israel Organization. The 2,700-year-old group, which claims its ancestry from the Lost Tribe of Menashe, has maintained many of the laws and traditions written in the Torah.The resolution, backed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver, is expected to go to the Cabinet by the end of this month."

We often think of miracles of the blind suddenly seeing, cancerous tumors disappearing, tornadoes missing one particular house though devastation is all around. But this is a miracle too. It is a fact that by the second generation all displaced cultures begin assimilating. All displaced cultures absorb the culture around them. They lose their language, or it begins to be peppered with phrases from the culture in which they live. Maintaining perfect mirror-like images of the original culture, though thousands of miles away from their homeland has never occurred in all of anthropology- except the Jewish people. This is truly a miracle, a 2,700 year old miracle! If you are interested, here is an article from Haaretz newspaper from 1999, tracing the Manasseh Tribe's winding history to the place they live in now:

Bnei Menashe in India

"Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind." (Ezekiel 39:28)

As we  read the rest of the news, particularly as it relates to Israel, please ponder the miracle that this is. His providential care is eternal. His promises from centuries ago hold in perfect truth until the day of their fulfillment. That means His promises for us, too, His church and bride, also are eternal, timeless, and perfect. He is mighty, not losing even one of His sparrows, whether they are in exile in the mountains of India for 2700 years, or are in the rolling hills of Georgia, He knows where all His children are, and He will not leave any one behind.

Comments

  1. Amazing. It can ONLY be God that puts that intense desire in the hearts of Jews around the world to continue to practice their jewish faith so precisely and to even have an intense desire to return to their homeland after so many centuries. Also, the effort the state of Israel (and prophesied gentiles!) puts into bringing Jews all around the world home and the way they are seamlessly integrated despite their race and ethnicity is truly an act of God.

    I'm not knowledgeable enough about global cultures to know if there is this sort of precedent but I doubt it! It's also truly humbling to watch prophecy come to pass. OK, it's humbling and just plain awesome!!! Like you said, it really does show how God keeps his promises and how faithful He is to those He has declared his own.

    I'm just thinking that some of these Jews being gathered from the nations will be part of the 144,000 witnesses. Wow! I pray that they will soon come to know Jesus as their Messiah. Thanks for keeping us updated about this Elizabeth.

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  2. "Wow! I pray that they will soon come to know Jesus as their Messiah. Thanks for keeping us updated about this Elizabeth."

    Very important point - that they will soon come to know Jesus as their Messiah. The New Testament is very clear, no matter how faithfully they keep, and have kept, the Jewish faith and practices, they are going to hell if they do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the One and Only Messiah. Too often Christians forget this and think that faithful Jews are going to heaven, too. NO! Their branch was cut off and a new one grafted on to the Vine. More prophecy must be fullfilled, but these people need to be evangelized just as any other pagan - Hindu, Muslim, Witch, Jew. They can build all the new temples they want in Jerusalem. begin sacrifices again, and so forth, but it will do them absolutely no good, in fact it is an abomination to God. Jesus Christ is the one and only sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world, and if they do not believe that, they die and go to hell.

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  3. Bless His HOlY Name! ONLY the Yashua Hamashia can rescue the lost and broken and bring them home. Halleluhah!! Come, Lord Jesus!

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