By this we know that Ephraim no longer existed as a Tribe in the First Century A.D. We have found this has been completely overlooked by the "prophecy experts".[2]
Much "prophetic" speculation concerning the "regathering" is based on Ephraim, yet he is no longer found.
"Why", one may ask, "do the 12 Tribes differ in the New Testament compared to the Old Testament?"
To understand why, let us look at the now fulfilled Prophecies against the Tribes of Dan and Ephraim.
PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH MENTIONING DAN AND EPHRAIM TOGETHER
For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim. Jeremiah 4:15
PROPHECY AGAINST DAN
They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, "Thy God O Dan liveth"; and, "the manner of Beersheeba liveth", even they shall fall and never rise up again. Amos 8:14
PROPHECIES AGAINST EPHRAIM
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years (65 years) shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. Isaiah 7:8
And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Jeremiah 7:15
THE G-D OF ISRAEL HIMSELF HAS PREVENTED ANY "REGATHERING" OF THE "ORIGINAL 12 TRIBES"
The G-d of Israel Himself prevents any "regathering" attempts, and has thereby Protected us against any future claims by charlatans that this is ever again possible. He has also Given us Scripture that Protects us against ones who say they know where the "tribe of Ephraim" can be located. It is gone.
In other words, since, according to the New Testament, these Tribes do not exist any more, especially Dan, there can be no more "12 Tribe regathering", and since Ephraim no longer exists as a Tribe (as evidenced by Manassehs' displacement of his position), then there remain no "Ephraimites" either. The "lost 10 Tribes" speculation therefore is not found to be any sort of valid doctrine or teaching according to the New Testament. This would include the Mormon teaching that the American Indians are "the lost 10 tribes", British-Israelism (WWCOG), that Britain and America are the "lost 10 tribes", or the attempts at evangelizing by other groups trying to call "the lost 10 tribes" any "fullness of the gentiles".
Again, why is this? Because our New Testament says that the list given us in Revelation Chapter 7 has been now Revealed by G-d to be "ALL the Tribes of the children of Israel." (Revelation 7:4b).
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FOOTNOTES
[1
The Hebrew Masoretic Text which was assembled in the Middle Ages (800-1200 A.D.), has goyem in this place making it appear that it means "Gentile nations" which is most likely where all this speculation stems from. Todays' identifiation of goyem as always meaning Gentiles (usually with a negative connotation) and never "people" (which we believe it once was) can also be considered.
When Jacob Blessed Ephraim over Manasseh the Masoretic Text has: "his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." The Greek Septuagint has ethnon for "nations" which can also be translated "people". There is no doubt that Ephraim became a "multitude of people". That tribe, "people" and "seed" was removed however, fulfilling the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah (see their prophecies above which are confirmed by Revelation 7).
[2
This calls into serious question others as well, who choose the Tribe of Ephraim as a valid Tribe, as if it were still in existence, when the New Testament displaces Dan with Manasseh. If Ephraim were in existence, it would have displaced Dan, and Manasseh would not have.