What Is the Second Exodus and When Does It Occur?

A Look at End-Times Bible Prophecies Relating to the Second Exodus

By Ya’acov Natan Lawrence
Waters in the Wilderness, A Teaching Ministry of Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources

The Issue in People’s Hearts

The Bible clearly teaches that the ten tribes of the ancient northern kingdom of Israel (known biblically by various names such as the house of Israel, Samaria or Ephraim) were exiled among the nations of the world because of sin. At the same time, the biblical prophets and Jewish sages over the past 2000 years have predicted that in the end times (at the coming of the Messiah), through a series of supernatural events, these tribes will be regathered and return to the land of Israel to be reunited with their Jewish brethren who are descended from the southern kingdom of Judah. Furthermore, there is clear biblical and historical evidence that the ten northern tribes of Israel collectively known as Ephraim are largely to be found among the Christian peoples scattered across the earth. I have attempted to prove this point from biblical, linguistic, archeological, historical and rabbinic Jewish sources in a previous work .

In these last days before Messiah’s second coming, more and more redeemed believers in Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) are discovering a new-found love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel. At the same time, they are awakening to the need to return to the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith by adhering to a more Torah-centered lifestyle and spiritual walk. It then follows that some are coming to the fundamental truth taught numerous places in the Testimony of Yeshua (the more biblically accurate name for the “New Testament”) that born-again believers are actually redeemed Israelites and are either the literal biological or are the “grafted in” descendants of Abraham. As such, many are beginning to see that the numerous promises YHVH (the LORD) made to Abraham and his descendants apply to them—especially the promises that the land of Israel is an important aspect of their promised future inheritance. With these revelations often comes a new-found zeal and enthusiasm about returning to the land of Israel. For many, it is a question of not if, but “when do we return?”

This is the question I will grapple with in the following study in attempting to determine the timing of the return of Ephraim to the land of Israel, often referred to as the second or greater exodus. This is a difficult and complex subject and many factors need to be considered. No one has all the answers and neither do I, but hopefully the presentation you are about to read will provoke thought and discourse that will move us all toward a greater understanding of this subject.

In this work, I will cover much ground in a panoramic manner without delving into the fine details of any one biblical passage. If my overall analysis is correct, then it is my hope that other biblical researchers will look at the evidence presented here and synergistically we can fine-tune the details and elucidate this subject.

Since there is no direct place in the Scriptures that tells us the exact year or date when Ephraim will be regathered and return to the land of Israel (although, many believe that the process will begin on a jubilee year), we must examine many prophecies and prophetic scenarios in order to extrapolate from them the answer to our question. Before we take the plunge, let’s review some fundamental biblical truths.

Ephraim’s Return to the Land of Israel Is a Fundamental Truth of the Torah

As the very words of YHVH Elohim (the LORD God) dictated to and written down by Moses, the Torah (the biblical books of Genesis through Deuteronomy) is the bedrock of biblical truth upon which the rest of biblical revelation is founded. This is the place to begin when discussing the timing of Ephraim’s return.

In Jewish thought, Deuteronomy 30:1–10 is the embryo from which all the other scriptures discussing Ephraim’s return are birthed. Here YHVH promises to gather Israel from all the nations where he has scattered them (because of spiritual apostasy), and he promises to return them to the land of Israel. This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, and nor is it referring to the Jewish captives who returned from their 70 years exile in Babylonian, since the term “all nations” is used in this prophecy. The ancient empire of Babylon is not “all nations”!

Here is the prophecy in its entirety:

And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, whither YHVH your Elohim has driven you, and shall return unto YHVH your Elohim, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then YHVH your Elohim will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, wherever YHVH your Elohim has scattered you. If any of you be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will YHVH your Elohim gather you, and from thence will he fetch you: and YHVH your Elohim will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and he will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers. And YHVH your Elohim will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live. And YHVH your Elohim will put all these curses upon your enemies, and on them that hate you, which persecuted you. And you shall return and obey the voice of YHVH, and do all his commandments which I command you this day. And YHVH your Elohim will make you plenteous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your land, for good: for YHVH will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers: if you shall hearken unto the voice of YHVH your Elohim, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if you turn unto YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul. (emphasis added)

The Jewish Sages Affirm That Ephraim Will Return

The biblical prophets predicted that all the tribes of Israel (including the ten tribes of the northern kingdom or Ephraim) would be scattered to other lands outside of Israel, and that YHVH would regather them in the last days and return them to the land of Israel. This has also been the dominant belief of the Jewish sages as recorded in their writings and in their oral traditions including the Talmud. For example, the Scriptures tells us about the scattering of the twelve tribes,

And YHVH rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land [eretz acheret], as it is this day.” (Deut 29:28)

The Babylonian Talmud, in Yevamot 17a (written ca. A.D. 500, The Soncino Talmud) confirms this when it states,

“[T]hey had declared them [i.e., the ten tribes of Israel, see rabbinic footnote below]19 to be perfect heathens [or gentiles]; as it is said in the Scriptures, ‘They have dealt treacherously against YHVH, for they have begotten strange children.’” A rabbinic footnote on this passage states, (19) ‘The ten tribes; (20) Hos 5:7.’”

The ArtScroll Tanach Series Bereishis/Genesis (an Orthodox Jewish commentary on Genesis) states, regarding Genesis 48:19, quoting Orthodox Jewish sage of the Middle Ages, Ibn Ezra:

Many nations will descend from him [Ephraim]. That is, the word, fullness, melo, connotes ‘abundance,’ the phrase meaning: ‘and his seed will become the abundance of the nations’ (Neter; Karnei Or, p. 2121).

According to Radak’s (R. Dovid Kimchi, a Torah scholar in the Middle Ages) commentary on the same verse,

This refers to the Exile when the lands of others will be filled with his scattered descendants. See also Hoshea 7:8: Ephraim shall be mingled among the nations (Ibid.).

Pertaining to the end-time regathering of the twelve tribes, the late well-known orthodox Jewish leader, Menachem Schneerson stated that the future King Messiah (Messiah Ben [Son of] David) will not only redeem the Jews from exile, but will restore the observance of the Torah-commandments to its complete state, which will only be possible when the Israelites are living in the land of Israel. At this same time, Schneerson who is quoting the notable rabbinic sage of the Middle Ages, Moses Maimonides also known as the Rambam, says,

[T]here will be an ingathering of the dispersed remnant of Israel. This will make it possible for the Davidic dynasty to be reinstated and for the observance of the Torah and its mitsvot to be restored in its totality. (emphasis added)

According to Jacob Immanual Schochet, the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel will also return (as substantiation for his claim, he cites b. Talmud, Sandhedrin 110b) to serve YHVH (he also cites Ezek 20:32–37, 40–42).

Furthermore, The ArtScroll Bereishis, vol. 1(b) states in its commentary on Genesis 48:19 regarding Ephraim,

R. Munk explains: 

“[W]hile it is true that the dispersion [of the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh] was caused by the unfaithfulness and sinfulness of Ephraim’s descendants (Hos 7:8ff), Jacob’s ­blessing was not in vain for ‘they will return to [Elohim]’ and will have their share in the world to come ([Talmud] Sanhedrin 110b).” And R. Eliezer adds: “Even the darkness in which the Ten Tribes were lost will one day become as radiant as the day’ (according to the version of Avos d’Rabbi Nosson 36). And in the perspective of history, did not these exiled children of the Patriarchs enlighten the nations among whom they were scattered? They did so by teaching their conquerors the fundamental ideas of the knowledge and love of [Elohim], ideals they had never forsaken. Hence they too have a messianic vocation and their Messiah the Mashiach ben Yosef, Messiah son of Joseph (Succah 52a), also called Messiah son of Ephraim (Targum Yonasan on Exodus 40:11), will play an essential role in humanity’s redemption, for he will be the precursor of the Mashiach ben David, Messiah Son of David. It is therefore not surprising to find that the prophet Jeremiah (3:12) speaks affectionately of Ephraim. In this light, Jacob’s words, ‘his offspring will fill the nations,’ assume the significance of blessing.”

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Acharie Mot—Yom Kippur, Blood, Sex, Virgins, Whores & Revelation

In this video Nathan discusses how the end time prophetic implications of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) in Leviticus 16 relate to the power of the blood of Yeshua (Leviticus 17) to carry the saints through the great tribulation mentioned in the book of Revelation, so that they will not succumb to physical and sexual sin (Leviticus 18 and Revelation 17 and 18) and acquiesce to the whore of Babylon, thus preventing them from being the virgin bride of Yeshua the Bridegroom at his second coming.

 

The Great Reset Proven and Explained

This is an excellent short video talking explaining the world’s leaders’ concept of the Great (Global) Reset where, by 2030, they envision that the people of the world will own nothing and be happy for it. This all ties in to the biblical prophecies concerning Babylon the Great—something we have been discussing a lot recently on this blog. Thank you Charity for bringing this video to our attention.

 

What I See Coming to the World in the Near Future

What do I see coming in the near future on the world stage that will greatly affect our lives? To be forewarned is to be forearmed, as the saying goes. I do not claim to have any great divine revelation. YHVH has not appeared to me or spoken audibly to be. Therefore, I will not say, “The Lord told me this or that,” as many people are currently doing in order to gain a following or to peddle their products. I have nothing to sell, and not seeking a following and make no self-adulating claims other than the fact that I have simply been a student of the Bible for more than half-a century, a student of world events of history during the same time, a studier of people, and a disciple and follower of Yeshua, the Lamb of Elohim; therefore, In advise you view what is written below with the help of the Spirit of discernment and prove all things and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thess 5:21) based on the Word or Truth of YHVH Elohim as found in the Scriptures. What follows is one man’s opinion, and is what I see coming on the world scene in the next few years based on what I see in the Bible, and what I see as the trajectory of current events often predicated on past historical events, since history often repeats itself.

An Outline of Major World Events Over the Past 100 years.

What is written below is the most cursory overview—a skipping of stone over the tops of the waves—of world events since World War I (1914–1918). Each of these points could be elucidated upon tremendously. Others have done this, so do your own research. The information is all out there.

  • The purpose behind World War I was to destroy four empires (the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire, the German Empire and to weaken the fifth—the British Empire). As long as these empires held power over large areas of land, an end times global government as prophesied in Revelation chapters 13, 17 and 18 could not come to pass, and the biblically prophesied Satanic Antichrist figure could not rise to power over all nations and people as also prophesied in the same Bible passages.
  • A result of WW I was the overthrow of Russia and the establishment of the Soviet Union—the first truly communist nation.  
  • After WW I, the idea of a world-ruling government called the League of Nations was introduced to humanity. It failed as a meaningful institution, but the idea of global governance did not die among those who rule the world behind the scenes under Satan’s directions. Do not forget that Satan, the god of this world, is behind all of this. Human beings are merely his useful idiot pawns marching to his orders lured onward by the prospects of power and wealth (and sexual pleasure) whether they are aware of it or not.
  • After WW I, the world experienced the Great Depression. Whatever one believes the causes of this economic crash and the privation that resulted thereof, it introduced socialism into many capitalistic, free enterprise-based nations. The result was the expansion of central government and the rise of the State controlling people’s lives and providing for their needs, and the people looking to the State to meet their needs. This all gave rise to oligarchic capitalism, where a few major corporations in cooperation with the State had the power to strongly influence the lives of the masses and begin to socially engineer the peasant people toward accepting socialistic concepts and more State and corporate control over their lives (along with the diminishment of freedom and civil liberties) as predicted in Revelation 18.
  • WW II, occurring a scant 20 years after the end of WW I, brought more death and destruction to mankind.  Many nations who were wearied by another global war gladly accepted the idea of the United Nations, the  successor to the failed League of Nations. This time the idea took off and the nations of the world signed on to the concept of a quasi-world ruling government to help to establish world peace and end global wars. The seeds of the satanic Babylon the Great, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation, had been planted and took root in the hearts and minds of humanity. 
  • Another consequence of WW II was the expansion of the Soviet Union as well as the rise of communist China along with the puppet states of North Korea and Cuba. Eventually, over the following years, communism would spread to many other nations on multiple continents. 
  • The European Common Market and eventually the European Union (EU) was another experiment in global governance on a regional level in the name of regional peace and prosperity. The United Nations and the EU were all steps toward global governance.
  • The Cold War was an engineered conflict between the so-called communist bloc and the capitalistic nations. Both sides have been funded by the same monied interests for purpose of using conflict to control the masses. This is called the Hegelian Dialectic where one causes the problem then creates the answer the problem, or otherwise known as thesis-antitheses-synthesis or problem-solution. In this way, the nations of the world have been gradually moved into accepting a socialistic paradigm yet retaining some vestiges of capitalism. Again, this is the system we see  ruling the world in the end time when we study the prophesies of Revelation 13 and 18.
  • The fall of the Soviet Union occurred in the late 1980s and it moved toward capitalistic free market system, while retaining a strong central government. The same thing happened later with communist China as it moved more toward free market capitalism. Again, in both nations, we see the rise of oligarchic capitalism where a strong State is in league with powerful business interests that do its bidding, while, at the same time, basically enslaving the people to work the government-business factories. Go read Revelation 18; it has all been predicted.
  • Then September 11, 2001 now euphemistically referred to simply as “911” occurred. The US was the major obstacle in the road toward a one-world government with its freedom and gun loving people.  Americans had to be driven into fear mode to allow more government overreach into their lives and diminishment of civil liberties and freedoms. 911 helped to bring that about with more government  surveillance on private citizens and biometrics, and travel checkpoints. Gun control became the big issue too. An armed citizenry cannot be easily controlled and manipulated by government tyrants.
  • 911 also led to America’s military involvement in Middle East causing chaos and mayhem wherever it went. Governments fell, destruction occurred and Muslims populations were displaced. Many displaced people from those nations immigrated to Europe and North America—traditionally Christians nations. The influx of Muslims in these nations has accomplished several things. It has helped to undermine the already weak Christian culture of those nations, and it brought many terrorists into those countries inducing more fear thus requiring more government control in an attempt to assuage the peoples’ fear. The result was more stringent State controls over its people to “protect” them from the terrorists.  
  • At the same time, America’s borders have been opened, thus allowing floods of illegal aliens to swarm into this country. The endless wars in the Middle East along with the illegal aliens have taxed America’s economy the social welfare program thus weakening this nation economically and socially. Public and private debt are soaring and fueling a future economic collapse thus necessitating a currency reset of some sort. The dollar must fail in order to give way to a global currency—likely a digital one that the State will control. This will pave the way for the famous mark of the beast system as just predicted two thousand years ago in the Bible in Revelation 13.
  • With the economic uncertainties in America coupled by the social unrest brought on by illegal aliens, and leftist anarchists, America and Europe are tinder  boxes waiting to ignite into major civil unrest and potential anarchy. 
  • Satan, the ruler of this world, is behind everything discussed so far above. The Bible tells us that he comes to kill, steal and destroy and to devour as a roaring lion all that is good. His chief target continues to be Bible believers (Jews and Christians) as well as anything remotely associated with biblical values including the family unit, traditional marriage, children, masculine and female gender, the church, male headship of the family, and basic law and order the basics of which are delineated in the Ten Commandments. With these foundations stones of society removed, a society will weaken and eventually collapse, since it is now vulnerable to overthrow by satanic forces. With the rising up from within traditional Western Christian nations as well as the invasion from without of those who hold non-biblical satanic and anarchistic ideologies, it is only a matter of time before there will be major social unrest, civil war or other socio-economic problems and chaos necessitating a major shifting or resetting of governmental and economic systems in response. Out of this chaotic crisis, the people will demand peace and order. The wise Satan-inspired strategists will then insinuate their new order of things along non-biblical, Antichrist, Luciferian lines, again as predicted in the prophecies of the Bible. The majority of the unknowing populace will all too gladly exchange the fearful uncertainty of chaos for the certain security of peace no matter what freedoms and civil liberties they have to give up. This will be Satan’s grand coup d’état to bringing in his Novus Ordo Seclorum or New World Order that the Bible refers to as Mystery Babylon the Great. This has been these Satanists’ plan for a long time. For example, pull a U.S. one dollar bill out of your wallet and look at the reverse side. What do you see? It is the Great Seal of the United States of America adopted in 1782. What is on the back of that seal? A pyramid with the an eye above it. This is the all-seeing eye of Lucifer (Isa 14:12), the light bringer, who purports to bring spiritual enlightenment and knowledge to his followers. This is the same promise he made to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis chapter three. The all-seeing eye is an ancient occult symbol that has been appropriated by the Freemasons and Hindus among others.
  • These things have all been planned and preordained. Is this simply a so-called “conspiracy theory” to be debunked and cast aside? It is only if you believe that the prophecies of the Bible predicting these things all are lies.
  • Then in late 2019, a virus escaped from a Chinese bio-lab and quickly swept around the world become a pandemic. This virus was named COVID-19 or the Coronavirus. Millions of people have died from this pestilence and many countless millions more have been injured because of it. Does the Bible predict this? Yes. Go read Matthew 24:7 and Revelation 6:7–8. At its onset, hhis pandemic was recognized by some of the global “elites” as a perfect opportunity for “a great global reset” (their words), to move the world toward “a new (economic) world order” (again, their words). Even the president of the U.S. publicly declared this in a recent speech (March 2022). We all know what COVID brought to the world, for we have all lived through it. This includes the diminishment or elimination of many of our freedoms and civil liberties, lock downs (house arrest, if you will), curtailment of freedom of speech, censorship of news and communications, travel restrictions, closures of businesses, forced vaccinations, seizure of bank accounts, arrests and imprisonment in concentration camps, and the list of nightmarish government mandates goes on and on. Out of all of this hellish fiasco, many governments have floated the idea of a COVID passport. Though largely not implemented globally, a few nations have played around with the concept and Guinea-pigged their citizens with such a passport that allows them to buy, sell, travel and to enjoy certain privileges. Does this sound like a precursor to the mark of the beast of Revelation 13? Though not fully implemented globally, the idea of a passport that allows one to function “normally” in society is now in the collective consciousness of the people of the world. The next time a world-threatening crisis occurs, it is likely that the majority of people will more readily accept the idea of “a passport”that allows one to buy and sell. The idea will be advertised a solution to the current crises, whatever that may be, and people will be encouraged to obtain the “passport” for their own good, safety, protection, convenience, and so on. Most will fall for the lie. The devil always over-promises and under-delivers.
  • Then America was defeated militarily in Afghanistan in 2021 by a gaggle of cave dwelling goat herders and poppy growers with small arms weapons. This had several consequences. This was a huge public relations disaster for America on the world stage—the surrender of world’s great military and economic superpower. This telegraphed to the world that the U.S. is no longer the nation to be feared and respected. It is weak and its leaders are effete and feckless. Several top leaders are even somewhat senile. America has to be weakened for the new world order to be imposed on the world. America’s defeat is also divine judgment on a nation that has largely turned its back on Elohim and the godly values that made it great.
  • Moreover, since the U.S. left behind approximately $78 billion worth of military equipment when retreating from Afghanistan, America has, in effect, armed the Taliban and their allies as a major fighting force in the Middle East. With China, Russia and Iran as Afghanistan’s chief allies, it is quite possible that the stage has been set for the biblically prophesied end times Gog-Magog or the Edom-greater-Israel conflict (see Ezek 38 and 39).
  • Whatever conflict will ensue out of this scenario, the Bible predicts that greater Israel will be punished in the last days for turning away from Elohim. This includes the so-called State of Israel as well as Christian nations which are, to one degree or another, contain many remnants  of dispersed Israel.
  • At the same time, the U.S. military (in reality, the New World Order’s global police force) is being systematically weakened by so-called leftist WOKE ideologies including the imposition on its members of Critical Race Theory (or CRT, which is racism against white people), the concept white privilege, acceptance of transgenderism, the promotion of gay and lesbian lifestyles and many other concepts that are weakening the moral and fighting abilities of its military forces. The term woke (according to Wikipedia) refers to “an awareness of social inequalities such as sexism, and has also been used as shorthand for left-wing ideas involving identity politics and social justice, such as the notion of white privilege and slavery reparations for African Americans”.
  • All of these scenarios and conflicts on the world stage are signs pointing to the very hard “spanking” that YHVH will give his apostate, backslid and lukewarm people resulting in many repenting of their sins and coming back to him (Rev 7:9–17 cp. Rev 3:18–19). This will result in a great spiritual revival “out of great tribulation” (Rev 7:14) at the end of the age and continuing into the millennial reign of Yeshua the Messiah. The Bible predicts that this revival will continue as the regathering of the dispersed and scattered tribes of Israel occurs in fulfillment of countless Old Testament biblical prophecies, as well as the fulfillment of the as to yet many unfulfilled promises in the Abrahamic Covenant. 
  • The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine seems to be setting the stage for a new world economic order. Global leaders like Klaus Schwab, Bill Gates, Joe Biden and Larry Fink (CEO of Black Rock) and others are openly talking about this “new world order” to be brought on by “a global economic reset”. The West’s economic sanctions against Russia and that country’s response seem to be pushing the world toward a new currency system—likely a (fiat) digital currency to eventually replace the current fiat paper currency systems.
  • It is inevitable that the world moves to global trackable digital currency tied to an ESG (or environmental, social justice and governance) social credit score system. Already, Communist China is experimenting with a social credit score enforced by millions of facial recognition cameras. This system helps to keep people “in line” by rewarding them when they follow government mandates that define “political correctness”, and by penalizing people when they go against those mandates. This is a form of crowd control and a social engineering tactic initiated by government leaders to force its masses into accepted forms of behavior that will serves the power-hungry and greedy interest of these so-called ruling “elites”. If and when this type of system spreads worldwide, this along with a trackable global digital currency will make it much easier for the new world order, Babylon the Great system to impose the mark of the beast upon the people of the world, even as the Book of Revelation predicted nearly two thousand years ago (Rev 13:16–18). Those who go along with the system will be rewarded for “good behavior”, while those who do not will be penalized into submission or totally excluded from the system and be forced to somehow survive without being able to work, buy, sell, travel, pay their bills­—or basically live. You say this system is not coming, that this is all silly talk, that it is a long way off? Well, then you believe the Bible is a lie. As proof of what I am saying, and the Bible prophesies will happen in the end times, simply listen to what global leaders are now openly saying about their coming new world order. Moreover, some of the pieces of this systems are already being tried here and there in various countries as we speak. The populations of these nations are the Guinea pigs unknowingly being experimented on. Of course, the major media outlets are hardly reporting on this, so in the minds of most people, it is not happening. But thanks to alternative media sources and social media, those who are awake can see what is happening and what is coming. For example, the current cryptocurrency craze seems to be conditioning many—especially younger—people into accepting a digital currency as an alternative to current big banker controlled or manipulated fiat paper money system. The only problem is that a cryptocurrency digital currency system is also a fiat money system that is backed by zero tangible assets and is totally based on the faith and confidence that those who use it place in it. So what happens when governments impose regulations on the crytocurrencies, attempt to regulate them out of existence, or attempt to replace them with their own currencies? Or worse yet, what happens if the electrical system goes down (due to sabotage, terrorist hacking or other malevolent forces or entities beyond one’s control), and you cannot get access to your digital currency for a week or two or three or longer? These are all question to which no one know the answers, but that need to be asked. At the very least, these are causes for concern.

How to Prepare for What Is Coming

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