Eddie Chumney — The 12 Tribes of Israel: The Central Theme of the New Testament

Hallel Fellowship hosted guest speaker Eddie Chumney to share Bible teachings on the central role of the 12 tribes of Israel to everything in God’s word, past, present and future.

Hallel Fellowship occasionally hosts guest speakers to allow analysis of various points of view. The fellowship doesn’t necessarily endorse all the teachings of visiting speakers and encourages all who listen to any speaker to search the Scriptures to find out if what is being presented is accurate.

The entire NT is a detailed explanation of the role of Messiah as unifier of the 12 tribes of Israel. 

How does this pertain to the individual believer in Yeshua (Luke 24:44)?

We tend to view to view the Torah as God’s relationship with Israel and the New Testament as Yeshua’s relationship with the Gentile Church. 

In reality, the entire Bible is about Yeshua and the entire Bible is about Israel. 

The Torah, Prophets and Writings lay down what we need to know to understand the New Testament. 

Gen. 1:1 — God (The Father) created the Heavens and Earth

John 1:3 — Yeshua created the Heavens and Earth (Col. 1:15-16)

Psa 33:6-9 — The world was created by the word of God

Gen. 17:7 — Yeshua made a covenant with Abraham

Gal. 3:16 — Abraham and his “seed”, the Messiah received the promise and because of the Messiah, those who believe in Him are also Abraham’s seed. 

Who gave the Torah at Mt. Sinai? Yeshua the Messiah did this. 

James 4:12 — “there is one lawgiver who is able to save.” Who is this lawgiver? Yeshua

John 14:15 — Yeshua didn’t say “if you want to be save, keep my commandments”, Yeshua tells His disciples “if you love me, keep me my commandments”. Where are these commandments? Ex. 20:6 tells us that God shows mercy to the thousandth generation of those who love God. 

Who is God’s right hand? Yeshua. Where do we see the right hand of Yeshua at work in the Tanak?

Yeshua redeemed Israel from Egypt (1 Cor. 10:1-4). Yeshua is the one who defeated the Pharaoh? Who is the cloudy pillar in the desert?

Jer. 33:11 — Yeshua is also the Bridegroom mentioned in Scripture. 

Ex. 19:5-8 — Where is the betrothal? Who was the escort between the bridegroom and bride? Moses. When did Moses do this? The wedding between God and Israel/House of Jacob (Ex. 19:17, Deut. 28:1, Eze. 16:10-13, Ex. 19:3).

What is the Hebrew equivalent for ekklesia, translated often as "church" (Acts 7:37, Deut. 18:16)?

How were the mixed multitude made a part of the physical descendants of the people of Israel/House of Jacob? Is this any different than what Yeshua offers to believers today? 

Num. 15:15-16 — There is One Torah for the House of Jacob and those who “sojourn” with them. However, the Bible also records that after Mt. Sinai, the Bride was not faithful. She committed adultery against her Bridegroom, Yeshua. As as result, we are told in Jer. 3:8 that He divorced the House of Israel. But He did not divorce Judah. 

Revelation 21 — The time of the New Earth that the Bride will dwell in Jerusalem. The land of Israel is the house of the Bride. Because of unfaithfulness, the Bride was exiled into the nations of the word. However, the Prophets were told that God would regather his people to the land of Israel and he would united the 12 Tribes of Israel. 

Yeshua was given the task to unite and gather the 12 Tribes (Jer. 23:3-6, John 10:11-14, Eze. 34:1-15) When will they dwell safely? Safely from whom? Who are their enemies? When will they be gathered?

What has to happen first (Eze. 16:37-40, 2 Cor. 3:6)?

What is the "letter of the Law"? What is the "spirit of the Law"?

What two words primarily describe God? What is Elohim? What is Yahweh?

Ex. 34:6—God is more merciful than judgmental. Mercy wants to forgive and give a second chance. Mercy wants to love. What is the greatest way to show love? 

Why did Yeshua die on the cross? What happens when we repent?

John 10:15-16; John 11:49-52 — If the Jews are one sheepfold, who are the other sheepfold? What nation is Yeshua supposed to die? How many nations is He dying for? How are they described? How does this pertain to Gentile believers?

Jer. 31:31 — The New Covenant, which is with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, not with the Gentile Christian “church.” This is repeated in Heb. 8:8. Why is He making a new covenant with them?

How do the nations become a part of the New Covenant? Rom. 11:17 says that the wild branches are grafted in after they believe. Rom. 11:23 tells us the natural branch are grafted in as well. 

Eph. 2:11 — “In Messiah” we become a part of the Commonwealth of Israel. What is one of the promises to Israel? 

Acts 1:6 — The Disciples ask Yeshua when He will reunited the 12 Tribes. David ruled a United Kingdom and they wanted to know if He would restore it. Yeshua’s response is in Acts 1:8.  Why is the Holy Spirit the vehicle of this message? Which Exodus will be more greatly remembered (Mark 1:17, Jer. 16:14-16)? 

What is the difference between fishermen and hunters? Who are called “hunters” in the Bible? How has the “spirit of the hunter” awakened in our land? 

Why was Paul put on trial before King Agrippa (Acts 26:6-7)?

Many of the books of the New Testament were written to the 12 Tribes, including the writings of Peter, James and Paul. 

1 Peter 1:1-2; 1 Peter 2:5,25; 1 Peter 5:13 — Peter addresses the Diaspora and tells where they are located.  Who’s in Babylon? Who are elected? Who are elected with them? Who are the “scattered strangers”? How can you “return” if you weren’t there in the first place? 1 Peter was written to the Northern Kingdom. The 12 Apostles when to the areas where the 12 Tribes scattered themselves. 

Revelation shows us the details of how the events which happen on the earth when the 12 Tribes are united. We know when and how it will happen. 

Rev. 1:1 — “The revelation of Yeshua the Messiah,” which means He is not fully revealed. He will be fully revealed when the 12 Tribes are reunited.  John was in “the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” This particular “day of the LORD” is not the Sabbath or Sunday but a reference to the “Day of the LORD” or the Messianic era. John was propelled in Messianic times to see what would happen in the End times. 

Gen. 1:3-5, 8, 13 — A day in the Bible is a “evening and a morning” so how do we understand the Day of the Lord? Is. 58:13 is God’s Holy day or the Day of the Lord as well. The seventh-day Sabbath is a shadow of the Day of the LORD, which is a shadow of the “new heavens and the new earth” (2 Pet. 3:8).

The Day of the LORD is a major topic of the Prophets (Joel 1:15, 2:1-2, Oba. 1:15, Zeph. 1:14, Zech. 14:1). The entire book of Isaiah is written in the context in the Day of the LORD. This is when all the nations will come to Jersualem (Isa. 2:2-3, Isa. 13:6, Jer. 30:3-7).

It is during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble that the People of Israel will return to the Land. 

Rev. 15:2 Why do the Redeemed have harps? What do the harps mean? (Psa. 137:1-3) In Babylon, no one played the harps. Their captors asked them to sing a song of the Land but how can they play the song in a strange land? What songs do the Redeemed sing in Rev. 14:2-3, Rev. 15:2-3? When are these songs sung? Who will learn this song? Why are they the only ones who can sing of this? (Psa. 98:1-3)

How long does this final regathering take (Jer. 31:15-21)? What kind of signs were the 12 Tribes supposed to set up in their exile? (Strong’s lexicon No. 6725) What is the sign of Zion? 

Revelation 12 parallels the Exodus.

Why is this woman wearing a crown? What do her 12 stars represent? What religions/entities will she have authority? Why does the woman flee? How long does she flee? What does she birth (Rev. 12:1-2, Isa. 66:8)? What is her travail?

Ex. 19:4 — God brought the people of Israel to the Land on “eagles wings” 

What is the Beast in Rev. 12:3? How long does it reign? 

How did the people leave Egypt (Ex. 12)? How does God rescue His people as recorded in Revelation? (Rev. 14:1, Isa. 4:5) 

Who are the NT equivalent to Moses who interact with the cloudy pillar (Rev. 9:10, Lev. 23:42)?

Who survive the Tribulation? How do they survive? (Rev. 7:14-17, Isa. 49:6,9-10) 

Hosea 2:15 — The valley of Trouble is a door of hope. 

The Bible tells us that the exiles will gather little by little until they are a greater number than those who left Egypt. They will not leave from one country but from all the nations of the earth. (Psa. 126:1-4, Micah 7:15, 1 Cor. 10:1-4). 

• Return to Jerusalem (Jer. 51:50)
• Return to the Judea and Samaria (Eze. 37:15-22)
• Return to Bashan & Gilead aka Western Jordan (Micah 7:14)
• Return to Lebanon (Zech. 10:10)
• Return from Spain to the Negev (Oba. 1:20)
• Return to the land of Moab & Ammon (Dan. 11:41)

Some of this land is in Israel’s possession at this time. 

Gog and Magog attack the Mountains of Israel but they are defeated. This will bring about the return of the exiles (Eze. 38:8, Eze. 39:2) . This is the exile which will be celebrated during the Passover season during the Messianic age and the final age. 

Questions for Eddie Chumney on the presentation

1. I’m from a Jewish family. For the "fishers" and "hunters," do you see a time in Scripture when Jews will return to the Land?
2. Are things shaping up for the time of tribulation related to this Passover?
3. How can we relate the Bible message of the typology and the last generation before the Day of the LORD to fellow Christians?
4. When you see the signs of economic collapse, is that when you return to the land of Israel?
5. Are you saying that 2010 is the start of the second three and a half years of the Tribulation?
6. Along the same lines, shouldn’t we look for the "abomination of desolation"?
7. Could you elaborate further on why the body of Yassir Arafat that would be taken to the Temple Mount would be the "abomination of desolation"?
8. What about the restoration of the sacrificial system?
9. I’m a little ignorant about this but I thought that during the Clinton Administration there was a seven-year peace agreement?
10. When you talk about Gog and Magog, who are you referring to?
11. Concerning the mark of the beast and the monetary system that will be with that, if all these things will be enacted will it be possible to go to the Land of Israel?
12. What do you tell Christians who don’t want to go to the Land of Israel? What will happen to them?
13. What will happen if Christians stay in the U.S.?
14. "Fleeing into the wilderness," what does that mean?
15. Do you think "Babylon" has multiple meanings? Some say it is Iraq, Saudi Arabia, America, New York city and the capitalistic system.