Paul, God’s premiere New Covenant apostle, noted that he and the other apostles had been given the “ministry of reconciliation” by which God would reconcile the two “houses” of Israel (2 Cor. 5:18-20/ Eze. 37). To “reconcile” means to return to a former condition or relationship. The 12 Tribes had been together with God in the distant past, had then split into two warring kingdoms (houses), had left God, then had been defeated, enslaved and scattered throughout the world. Scripture also tells us that their prodigal condition (“blinding”-Rom. 11:7,25/2 Cor. 3:14) would be temporary–that they would be reconciled back to each other and back to God in the last days (Jer. 3:14-18) which began some 2000 years ago on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16). Beginning with Jesus’ ministry to the Jews of the Pro- mised Land, God began reconciling His people back to Himself “AGAIN’ by grafting them into His “good olive tree”–His Israelite religion based on the Ten Commandments (Rom. 11:23). Ezekiel 37 describes the reconciliation of the 12 Tribes of Israel into one body (“stick”) AGAIN. After which they would be reconciled back to God.

That Paul ministered almost exclusively to Israelites is brought out in his statement that the men of Berea were more receptive to God than the men of Thessalonica, for the Bereans “searched the Scriptures daily” to see if what he was telling them was Biblically correct (Acts 17:10,11). The Thessa- lonians had dismissed Paul’s teachings without comparing them to Scripture.  Note that both the Bereans and the men of Thessalonica had access to the Scriptures–the Old Testament, the only Scriptures available during the apostles’ lifetimes. In that men in both cities had access to the Old Testament on a daily basis shows that they were Israelites, specifically Jews. Gentiles had no access to the Bible.

In Ezekiel 37 God shows the prophet a valley in which were numerous dry bones and asked him whose bones they were. Ezekiel did not know. The Lord then told him to prophesy over (speak to) the bones using His Words: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and ye shall live; and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin and put breath in you and ye shall live, and YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.” In response to God’s Words, Ezekiel prophesied. As he did he saw a miraculous thing begin to take place as God directed the bones–“Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath (Holy Spirit), and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'” The bones stood up and lived. Then God said, “Son of man, THESE ARE THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL (all 12 tribes). O MY PEOPLE, I will put My Spirit in you and ye shall live … in your OWN LAND.” Then God told Ezekiel to take two sticks–one to represent Judah (tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Levi–“Jews”), the other to represent the other tribes, and to “… join them one to the other into ONE STICK… and THEY SHALL BECOME ONE (nation) IN YOUR HAND.” He then said that He would cleanse them of their sins and they would AGAIN be His sanctified people and He would AGAIN be their God. Other Scriptures tell of God’s gathering Israel back to Himself: Isaiah 54:5-10–He had divorced them FOR A SEASON but would remember His covenant with them, which was as solid as His fixed heavenly order (Jer. 31:35-37). Though He had declared them “not My people” in the past (His divorce- ment of them), He would one day say to them, “… you are My people” (Hos. 2:19-23). The Lord would reign over the House of Jacob (Israel) forever, beginning with the millennium following His second advent (Lk. 1:33). “… so All Israel shall be saved” (Rom. 11:26), most of whom will not return to Him until He returns to set up the Kingdom of God. A few will accept Him in the current age (Jer. 3:14).