I put the two names of Rehoboam and Jeroboam in bold in the last paragraph for a reason; to bring your attention to the similarity in the two names, with each representing a different part of God’s Covenant Promise to Jacob, Rehoboam for Judah the Royal Sceptre tribe, and Jeroboam for Ephraim the leader of the northern ten tribes representing Joseph, the Birthright Blessing ‘double portion’, inheriting the national name of ‘Israel’. 17    But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. The Kenites (sons of Cain) would also eventually move to Judea and begin calling themselves Jews (Jer.35). I King 11:31  And he said to Jeroboam, “Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: God gives these types of examples on purpose, you can be assured. Since Levi is not to have any national heritage of land as the other tribes, i.e., their heritage being of God, they are always figured in with the tribe of Judah (Num.3 & 18). 1   The Companion Bible. He literally tore Jeroboam’s coat (salmah, an outer garment), and then began to rip it into twelve separate pieces. It turned from one kingdom into two. This joining back of the two houses of Israel will happen when Shiloh (Jesus Christ) returns, for He is KING of ‘all the House of Israel’, not just Jerusalem and Judah, or the Jews. Well what about the Levites? 12    Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. There is more in this verse, though it will not be fully understood until later. I King 11:32   (But he shall have one tribe for My servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:). There is importance behind the phrase ‘I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand’. As I have said elsewhere in my Letters, the Truth dealing with the ‘lost ten tribes’ is not a myth, nor a legend, but it is God’s Word. The capital city Jerusalem of all Israel which began with King David stayed with the ‘house of Judah’, i.e., Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. The more likely answer is that there was never a United Kingdom of Israel. 13    Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David My servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”, In these verses of I Kings 11 is given by God the reason for the split of the Nation of Israel into two separate ‘kingdoms’. Does this mean then that wherever the majority of the ten tribes are located, those are to be known as Israel? The Lord also decided, for the sake of David, that the separation would take place during the … What is the approximate date that Israel divided into Two Kingdoms? The city of Jerusalem remained the capital of the Judean kingdom, and the city of Samaria became the capital of Israel . Each person is responsible for their own actions with Jehovah; that is written (Jer.17:10). This division continued for approximately160 years until the Assyrians defeated the kingdom of Israel, sending it into exile. Israel split into two kingdoms, the northern was still called Israel, the southern was called Judah. Remember that God said the Royal Sceptre would always stay with Judah? The approximate date was 931 B.C. Benjamin will be also, as we will later discover in Scripture. God even ‘appeared‘ unto Solomon ‘twice‘ concerning these abominations, but he would not ‘return’ unto Him (I Kings 11:9). From this point on, there would be two kingdoms of Hebrews: in the north - Israel, and in the south - Judah. However, God promised that David’s dynasty would continue, albeit over a much smaller kingdom, for the sake of God’s covenant with David and for the sake of Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. Copyright © 2020 Deseret News Publishing Company. The ‘true’ Israel which God set up is still split today, meaning the twelve tribes, even though the Nation State of Israel today in the middleast is known to the world as Israel. God is still giving this prophecy to Jeroboam the Ephrathite, who represents ‘the house of Joseph’ at this stage. But as we now know, many of these Jews have yet to this day to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. The next verse example of Amos is talking about the ‘house of Judah’ with ‘them that are at ease in Zion‘. And as for the people, we know that they struggled with idolatry all along. Kind of seems so doesn’t it? If you’ll go back to during Solomon’s building of the Temple, and even during David’s time, many of the nations crept in and mixed with God’s People in Israel (see Judges 1 & 2 also). The Pharisees despised this act, for it insinuated that Jesus (who they taught was just a prophet), was their just King Messiah. For those who read the Bible, it's important to know about the split in order to have a better understanding of the Scriptures. and have not walked in my ways.”. 34    Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David My servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept My commandments and My statutes: Verse 33 is letting us know that Solomon was not alone in this false idol worship. The nation of Israel became two separate kingdoms. The biblical answer is that the United Monarchy of Israel split after the death of King Solomon, because his son son and successor, Rehoboam, insisted on continuing his father's unwise policy of swingeing taxes on the people. Notice that God said He would not ‘rend away all the kingdom’ of Israel, ‘but will give one tribe’ to Solomon’s son Rehoboam. Notice that Rehoboam ‘assembled’ Benjamin and Judah together? This reverts back to the subject of Jerusalem and the one tribe Judah again. If it hadn’t happened, the western Christian nations would not exist as they do today. After the twelve tribes of Israel sojourned out of Egypt led by God through Moses, they eventually settled in the land of Canaan after doing battle against God’s enemies. I King 11:35   But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, I King 11:36   And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a light, I King 11:38   And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways, and do. Following the idols of other nations has been the major problem by both ‘houses’ all along, so all blame can’t be put upon Solomon. The date this prophecy is given here in I Kings is around 897-890 B.C. I King 11:1   But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, What in the world did Ahijah do that for? Why did God divide the kingdom of Israel? The nation of Israel became two separate kingdoms. This division, which took place approximately 975 B.C., after the death of Solomon and during the reign of his son, Rehoboam, came about as the people revolted against heavy taxes levied by Solomon and Rehoboam. Christ’s Mission was as Savior for the sins of the whole world, to be sacrificed for us, becoming our Passover Lamb as written. David’s son, Solomon, was the last of the kings of the united kingdom. Therefore, at this point forward, the ‘house of Judah’ always refers to the three tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, all dwelling in the south in Jerusalem making up Judea, and includes ‘some’ of those from the other tribes already living in Jerusalem, and some which moved to Jerusalem who refused the golden calf worship of Jeroboam in the north (II Chron.11:16). For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand. He literally tore Jeroboam’s. Why? It is to the modern western Christian nations of Europe and the Americas, with Ephraim (Great Britain) still as its head. Since Christ’s second Advent upon this earth is when His Kingdom will be established ‘everlasting’, It will be over all Israel and all the earth (Zech.14; Ezek.37). I King 11:37   And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. In this verse 39 of 1 Kings 11, God is telling us that He will not keep this separation between the two ‘houses’ forever. God was angered at Solomon's disregard of the First Commandments. This next Advent, Jesus Christ will be coming into His Kingdom to Rule with ‘a rod of iron’ (Rev.2:27; 12:5; 19:15). Before the anointing of David as king over the ‘house of Judah’ in II Samuel 2, the first occurrence of that phrase, the term ‘all the house of Israel’ applied to all twelve tribes. 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