There are sincere Christians who have earnestly studied God's Word about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), whose seed would continue until his descendants would become "as the sand of the sea" (Hos. 1:10). And they have traced their lineage down through the history of nations and peoples, especially the bloodline of Judah, the son of Jacob, because from his descendants came David who was born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, whose seed descended unto Jesus the Messiah (Mt. 1:1-17). It was after the coming of the Messiah that the lineage of Judah was lost sight of, and this has disappointed many Bible students. Therefore, they would be quite surprised to learn that the descendants of Judah is now living in the latter days and can be identified! So who are they? The best way to find out would be to let Judah's father, Jacob, answer that question, who said:

"And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you {his sons standing before him} that which shall befall you {their descendants living} in the last days."--Genesis 49:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Since the time of the latter days was about 3,600 years into the future from Jacob's time, and since his sons could not live that long, then it is obvious that Jacob was talking about what was to "befall" the descendants of his sons who would be living in the "last days." But how was Jacob to know what was to "befall" his sons about 3,600 years into the future?

"At the last, all the sons of Jacob were gathered about his dying bed. And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, 'Gather yourselves together, and hear ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father,' 'that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.'...Now as his children waited to receive his last blessing, the Spirit of inspiration rested upon him; and before him in prophetic vision the future of his descendants were unfolded."--Patriarchs and Prophets, pg. 235:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

It was by the "Spirit of inspiration" that Jacob saw in "prophetic vision" what was to "befall" the "descendants" of his twelve sons living in the "last days." Therefore, what he said was not his own ideas, but what was revealed to him by God; which means that what Jacob said was as reliable as the word of God itself! This study, however, is not about what is to "befall" all of his sons but only one of his sons--Judah; and this is what he said was to happen to the "descendants" of Judah in the "last days," the very day in which we now live:

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him {Judah} shall the gathering of the people be."--Genesis 49:10 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Jacob predicted, by the "Spirit of inspiration," that from Judah would come a "lawgiver"--a king who would hold the "scepter" of authority, which was, of course, king David. But Jacob's "prophetic vision" was not talking about the days of ancient king David; but about the "last days," which is thousands of years after the death of ancient king David. And that is the reason why is it very important that the descendants of Judah should be identified at this time, because it is from the bloodline of Judah that God will chose another David to be his visible king in His latter-day kingdom. To understand what Jacob meant about Judah in the last days, it will be necessary to briefly review Biblical history from the time of Abraham until the "last days," after which this verse (Gen. 49:10) will be explained. And then the people who teach the truth of this latter-day kingdom will be indentified as the descendants of Judah.

BRIEF REVIEW OF THE SEED OF ABRAHAM

The Bible said Abraham was a "Hebrew" (Gen. 14:13); his son was Isaac (Gen. 21:1-3, 12), whose son was Jacob (Gen. 25:20-26), who had twelve sons (Gen. 35:22-26). They sold their brother, Joseph, to be a slave in Egypt (Gen. 37:26-28), who became the "ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Gen. 41:41-43). And Joseph brought his father, Jacob--Israel (Gen. 32:28), and all his household unto Egypt (Gen. 46:5-7). On his death bed he blessed his twelve sons (Gen. 49:1-27), who later multiplied and were made slaves by the Egyptians (Ex. 1:6-11); and God sent Moses to deliver them (Ex. 3:10; Ex. 12:30-36). They wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Num. 14:32-34), and Moses died (Deut. 34:5,6). Then Joshua led the children of Israel across the river Jordan (Josh. 3:15,16) and conquered the Promised Land, where they dwelt.

Later, they sinned by asking for a king and were given Saul (1 Sam. 10:1,24), then David (2 Sam. 5:3), and his son, Solomon (1 Ki. 1:32-37), and his son Rehoboam (1 Ki. 11:43). But the ten tribes of Israel rebelled against him and made Jereboam their king (1 Ki. 12:20).

"It will be remembered, however, that after Solomon's death, the kingdom was rent in twain (1 Kings 11:11, 12; 12:19, 20, 21). The one division, composed of the two tribes, occupied the southern portion of the Promised Land, while the other division, composed of the ten tribes, occupied the northern portion. The former took the title 'Judah' because the tribe of Judah ruled over it; the latter took the title 'Israel' because it was comprised of the majority of the tribes. To this ten-tribe kingdom, therefore, the term 'Israel' applies when used in its secondary acceptation, excluding the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin."--2 Answerer Book, pg. 73:4 (bold emphasis added).

Then many years later the kingdom of Assyria came (2 Ki. 18:11,12) and scattered Israel to "cease the kingdom of the house of Israel" (Hos. 1:4), wherein they "be not a people" (Isa. 7:8). Thus, the racial identity of the ten tribes of Israel was lost, when they intermingle with the Gentiles, and no one knows who they are to this very day. Later, when Assyria came to Jerusalem (2 Ki. 18:17) to destroy the two tribes of Judah, the Lord delivered them (2 Ki. 19:32-35). Finally, the two-tribe kingdom of Judah was taken captive by Babylon (2 Chron. 36:16-20); and stayed in captivity under the reign of Medo-Persia, and Grecia, and Rome, even in the days of Jesus.

THE MESSIAH CAME WHILE JUDAH WAS IN ROMAN CAPTIVITY

While the two tribe kingdom of Judah was under Roman captivity, Jesus was born of the virgin Mary in fulfillment of the virgin-birth "sign" (Isa. 7:14-16). The record of His genealogy from Abraham to king David and on to Joseph (Mt. 1:1-17), proves irrefutably that the descendants from Jacob's son, Judah, was not lost sight of. The Jews in that day all knew that they were descendants from the seed of Judah.

"But the two-tribe kingdom, occupying the southern portion, was called 'Judah,' because its kings were of the tribe of Judah, and therefore its descendants are called 'Jews.'"--8 Tract, pg. 11 (bold emphasis added).

"Only the citizens of the kingdom of Judah (the two-tribe kingdom, Judah and Benjamin) received the title Jews."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 37, pg. 11 (bold emphasis added).

The ten tribes of Israel were scattered and did not exist as a people; so only the two tribes of Judah (the Jews) still existed under Roman captivity when their Messiah came, His death on the cross divided them into two classes:

CLASS 1: The unconverted Jews of Judah who rejected their Messiah.

CLASS 2: The Jews of Judah (Christians) who accepted their Messiah.

In the prophecy of Hosea, the Lord spoke of these two classes of Jews in Judah.

"The same pair of children introduced in the first chapter of the vision {of Hosea 1:6-9--Old testament} are in the second chapter {Hos. 2:1--New Testament} redenominated, the difference being that from both names is dropped the prefix 'Lo' which in the Hebrew, means 'No.' Accordingly, whereas Lo-ruhamah means 'no mercy' and Lo-ammi 'not My people,' Ruhamah means 'mercy' and Ammi 'My people.' Hos. 1:6; 2:4. See margin."--4 Tract, pg. 12:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"This change of status, implied in the change of names, denotes a division of church history. In one instance the membership {unconverted Jews} is called 'not My people,' receiving 'no mercy,' and in the other instance 'My people' {Christian Jews}, receiving 'mercy.' The apostle Paul gave the key to this whole prophecy by revealing the interpretation of that part of it which met its fulfillment in his day:"--4 Tract, pg. 12:4 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"As He saith also in Osee {Hosea}, I will call them My people {Christian Jews}, which were not My people {unconverted Jews}; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people {unconverted Jews}; there shall they {Christian Jews} be called the children of the living God."--Romans 9:25, 26 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"So we see that Chapter One of Hosea's vision foretells God's rejecting the {unconverted} Jews, which we know He did after they rejected His Son. At that time was fulfilled the sad pronouncement: 'Ye are not My people, and I will not be your God' {unconverted Jews}. Yet in the very next breath, as it were, the Jews are called 'the children of the living God' {Christians}. This paradox is cleared in Chapter Two, as it is in Romans 9: the Jews who did not reject Christ, but who became Christians, are the ones called 'the children of the living God'."--4 Tract, pg. 13:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"...the title 'Jews' {of Judah} we find dropped out by the New Testament church and the title 'Christians' taken instead."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 43, pg. 17:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

After the death of Jesus on the cross, the number of His apostles swelled to "about an hundred and twenty" disciples (Acts 1:15). And on the day of Pentecost when they received the outpouring of the Holy Ghost (Acts. 2:1-4), there were added unto these Christian Jews "about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41); "and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). That means that there were many Christian Jews who continued on as descendants from Judah during the New Testament Christian era (2,000 yrs.) until the "last days" (Gen. 49:1).

ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT MAY HAVE OCCURED DURING THE 2,000 YEARS

Now lets suppose that the Christian Jews did not go to the Gentiles, but got their converts strictly from the Jewish church of the kingdom of Judah all during the New Testament Christian era for two thousand years. That means there would be two classes of literal, identifiable Jews from Judah that continued on until thee "last days" (Gen. 49:1). So how would we know which Judah would be God's people when we read this Bible text?

"For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah...in the latter days ye shall consider it."--Jeremiah 30:3, 24 (bold emphasis, braces added).

The obvious answer is that the literal non-Christian Jews and the Christian Jews from Judah, which are both identified by their race and facial features, would say "We are the Judah of the Lord!" But of the non-Christian Jews the Lord said, "ye are not my people {Judah}, and I will not be your God" (Hos. 1:9). Thus, it would be easy for the Christian Jews in our day to be identified and recognized as the descendants of Jacob's son, Judah, who are to live in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1).

TWO CLASSES OF JEWS FROM JUDAH CONTINUED FOR 2,000 YEARS

But there is a problem with that identification, because that is not the way it happened. So we must go back about two thousand years to the days of the early Christian Jews of Judah to see what really happened. When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1, 14, 41,47) there were many "souls" gathered from the Jewish church--the two tribe kingdom of Judah, during the next three and one half years until A.D. 34. Then the seventy weeks (490 yrs--Dan. 9:24) was fulfilled for the two tribe kingdom of Judah, because they did not "make an end of sins" (Dan. 9:24). Instead, they added to their sins by crucifying their Messiah. It was for this reason that Paul and Barnabas said to the unconverted Jews:

"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should have first been spoken to you {Jews of Judah}: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."--Acts 13:46 (bold emphasis, braces added).

And so the Christian Jews of Judah became the "sons of the living God" (Hos. 1:10), and they did two things which the non-Christian orthodox Jews (who are no longer God's people) would not do.

(1) The Christian Jews took the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46) which the strict Jews would not do.

(2) The Christian Jews married these Gentiles which the strict Jews would not do.

"We must not overlook the fact that the Gospel of Christ divided the house of Judah into two sects--Jewish and Christian, that the Christian church for about four years after the resurrection of Christ consisted practically only of Jews. Plainly, then, the original Christians were full-blooded Jews,--the Christian church is only a branch {offshoot} of the Jewish church, but they and their descendants have, through the years, lost their racial identity {because they married Gentiles}. Then, too, the descendants of both Israel and Judah who through the years of captivity {married Gentiles and} lost their identity as did the Jews who embraced Christianity, according to prophecy must also have greatly multiplied. Plainly, then, many who are taken as Gentiles, are but unidentified descendants of ancient Judah, Israel, and the Jewish Christians. The Christian church herself is, as we have seen, a Jewish-Christian church."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 6, pg. 16:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The Christian church herself is an upshoot of the Jewish church and nation--the Apostles and her followers, up to about 35 A.D. were all Jews. Then it was that again a multitude of Jews lost their identity by {marrying Gentiles and by} calling themselves 'Christians.'"--1 Timely Greetings, No. 37, pg. 11 (bold emphasis, braces added).

All during the New Testament Christian era (almost 2,000 years), the literal non-Christian Jews never lost their racial identity. Whereas, the Christian Jews accepted the Gentiles into fellowship and married them. As a result, the Christian Jews from Judah lost their racial identity, until today they look like Gentiles.

"It is, therefore, obvious that the few identified Jews of today are not the only descendants of Abraham's, but that many of the Gentiles must be of Abraham. Since this mixed up situation exists, hardly any one can really say for sure that he is not one of Abraham's children. Perhaps many of the nations whom the world calls Gentiles are the children of Abraham. We do not know for sure who is who. God, however, has kept a perfect genealogical record, for He says: 'I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know Me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest Himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.' Psa. 87:4-6."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 37, pg. 12:0.

Since the Lord has a "genealogical record" of everyone (Jews and Gentiles), then He knows who are the descendants of Jacob's son, Judah (Gen. 49:10), who will be living in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1)! But how are we to know which Judah would be God's people. The identifiable non-Christian Jews from Judah would, of course, say, "We are God's people." But when we look for the Christian Jews from Judah in the Christian churches, what would we see?--Christians who look like Gentiles! And since we do not know their "genealogical record," and cannot tell who are the Jewish-Gentiles (by marriage) that descended from the early Christian Jews of Judah, then how would we know who is the Judah in this Bible text?

SOME CHRISTIANS DO NOT KNOW WHO IS JUDAH IN THE LATTER DAYS

"For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah...in the latter days ye shall consider it."--Jeremiah 30:3, 24 (bold emphasis, braces added).

There are Christians in other churches who say that this text refers to the identifiable non-Christian Jews from Judah who crucified their Messiah (Jesus) almost two thousand years ago, and who are few in number today.

"Comparatively speaking, only a few Jews {today in the last days who have descended} from the Kingdom of Judah, have preserved their national title, Jews."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 37, pg. 11:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"If God drove the Jews from His land {Jerusalem in A.D. 70--P.K. 713} because of their wickedness {crucifying their Messiah--Jesus}, because He no longer could tolerate them, then it is certain that He is not leading them back to it {Holy Land} now while they are of the same mind and just as hostile against His only Son {Jesus} as they were two thousand years ago. The {identifiable} Jews {from Judah}, therefore, are taking the land {Jerusalem} on their own responsibility, and when the 'times of the Gentiles' (Luke 21:24) end, the new State of Israel {set up in 1948}, as they call themselves, will then vacate the land much faster than they can now take, it, unless they take God {and His Son Jesus} into the land with them."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 41, pg. 11:0 (bold emphasis, braces added).

These other Christians do not understand that the identifiable Jews from Judah today have not repented of their rejection of their Messiah (Jesus). And as they were rejected as God's people then, so they are not His people today. In 1948 these scattered non-Christian Jews began to gather back to the Holy Land to set up their new State of Israel. And when the "times of the Gentiles" is ended (Lk. 21:24), the anger of the Lord will come upon them when He drives them back out of His Holy land, as the Zephaniah prophesied:

"Gather yourselves together {in the Holy Land since 1948}, yea, gather together {Jews from Judah who were scattered in A.D. 70--P.K.713}, O nation not desired {the non-Christian Jews}; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you {for crucifying His Son Jesus}, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you."--Zephaniah 2:1, 2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"In view of the fact that this scripture {Zeph. 2:1,2} is now being unfolded, and also the fact that there is but one people {from Judah}, one nation (the descendants of the ancient scribes, priests, and Pharisees who rejected the Lord and who have not even to this day accepted Him, that are hardly desired anywhere in the world) that is now doing all she can to gather together in Palestine {since 1948}--in view of all this, the present-day Jews are that undesired nation. Upon her, therefore, the Lord's anger is to fall if she continues to deny Christ. Yes, the universally hated Jew is the only nation that has been scattered throughout the Gentile world, and is the only one that is now gathering together in Palestine {since 1948}."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 22, pg. 25 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Since, however, these other Christians do not understand this, many of them support the work of the identifiable Jews' new State of Israel in the Jerusalem area. Even the government of America helped to establish them there in 1948, and has given them millions of dollars each year, plus weapons technology and armaments (including the atomic bomb) to defend themselves against the Arabs. But these Christians are confused, for this reason:

If this text {Jer. 30:3,24) really refers to the Jews from Judah (Gen. 49:10) who crucified Jesus, as these confused Christians say, and if it means that they are to be the great people of the Lord who will be released from their "captivity" and their kingdom restored in 1948 in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1), then what does that make all Christians? That's right, you guessed it; they are, as the Jews claim, the deceived people who have accepted a false Messiah, and have wickedly apostatized from the Jewish faith! That, of course, is the very reason why these non-Christian Jews say they are completely justified for doing what they did: crucifying Jesus (Jn. 19:16-18), stoning Steven (Acts 7:58-60), Saul's killing the Christians (Acts 9:1,2), and all their persecution against the Christian Jews! These confused Christians, of course, do not believe that they are deceived for accepting Jesus as the true Messiah. Yet, they cannot explain who is the "Judah" (Jer. 30:3) in the "latter days" (Jer. 30:20), since they only see two classes of people--Gentile Christians and the non-Christian Jews. They do not know that Jeremiah's Judah refers to the Christian Gentiles who are the descendants of the Christian Jews who married Gentiles and lost their racial identity.

Since the Bible says that Jacob's Judah {Gen. 49:10} cannot be the few non-Christian Jews in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1) whom God has rejected as His people (Hos. 1:9); and since this Judah is the descendants of the early Christian Jews who married Gentiles and lost their racial identity, then, in what Christian church im the latter days would they be found?

LAST CANDLESTICK (LAODICEA)--SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

The church of "Laodicea" is one of the seven candlesticks that John the Revelator saw with the "Son of man" (Jesus) standing in their midst (Rev. 1:13). Jesus told John that the "seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches" (Rev. 1:20). There is, therefore, no need for anyone to wonder which churches these candlesticks symbolize, because of the fact that the "Son of man" (Jesus) is standing in their midst; which proves irrefutably that they can only be Christian churches! And the fact that there are seven candlesticks, which number means completeness, proves indisputably that they symbolize the Christian churches during the entire New Testament era; and that Laodicea is the last church. [If you want to know more about Laodicea, then click on that study at the end.]

"The names of the seven churches {candlesticks} are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian era. The number seven indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world."--Acts of the Apostles, pg. 585:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The Laodicean church, the last of the seven {candlesticks} churches (Rev. 2, 3), being figurative of the Christian church in her last period, our time, the message on record to her is therefore the last message to the church."--1 Answerer Book, pg. 8:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The ten tribes (the Kingdom of Israel) were by ancient Assyria dispersed throughout the cities of the Medes, and assimilated by {marrying} the Gentiles of that day, but it was not until years later that the two tribes (the Kingdom of Judah) were carried into Babylon, remaining there until the expiration of the seventy years of Jeremiah's prophecy, then returning to their homeland. Thus it was only the descendants of the Kingdom of Judah {bad Jews} who became so unfaithful that they rejected and crucified the Lord {Jesus, their Messiah}. But the faithful {good Jews} from among them accepted Him, and became the Christians, the founding members of the New Testament church. The church herself, therefore, is the daughter of the Kingdom of Judah {Christian Jews who descended down to the last days}. Hence she is appropriately still called Judah.

"While she is by virtue of parentage, faithfulness, and purity (absence of tares) entitled to be called 'Judah,' still because of their last-day lukewarmness and the resultant infiltration of 'tares' into her membership, she is, of necessity, additionally termed 'Laodicea.'"--14 Tract, pg. 21:1,2.

"Laodicea may be infallibly recognized amidst the many 'isms' of Christendom {Babylon} by the work she is doing--declaring the judgment. Indeed, this mark of identification is pointed out by the very name Laodicea, compounded of the two Greek words lao and dekei, the one meaning 'people,' also 'speak,' the other meaning 'judgment,' the two in one meaning the people declaring judgment. The church, therefore, which declares, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come' (Rev. 14:7), is evidently the one called Laodicea. And it is almost as well known outside Seventh-day Adventist circles as within, that the Seventh-day Adventist church is endeavoring to carry the judgment message of Revelation 14:7, and is therefore unchallenged in her claim to the title, Laodicea."--1 Answerer Book, pg. 11 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Since the concerns of these chapters are addressed to Judah, Jerusalem, and Zion of the last days, let us briefly transpose these titles into the language of today.

"The title 'Judah' (kingdom of Judah), of course, takes in the {ancient} nation as a whole. Applying this title to the church in our time {last days--Gen. 49:1}, it means the {Seventh-day Adventist} Denomination as a whole, the people {who descended from the Christian Jews of Judah} that are to make up the antitypical kingdom of Judah {Gen. 49:10}."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 6, pg. 25:2, 3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

When Saul became the first king of Israel, he ruled over all twelve tribes; and so did David, and after him his son Solomon ruled. But after Solomon died, in the days when his son Rehoboam became king, the ten tribes (Israel) rebelled and split off (1 Ki. 12:21-24), leaving only two tribes (Judah). In the "last days" antitypical Israel (the larger class of Christians--Protestants) split off from antitypical Judah (Seventh-day Adventist church).

"Now,...first, that the Protestants are in this symbolism termed the 'house of Israel'; and second, that the {church of} Seventh-day Adventists are termed the 'house of Judah.' Thus the split which God brought into Solomon's kingdom {1 Ki. 12:21-24} necessarily symbolizes the split which exists between Sabbath-keepers and Sunday-keepers."--1 Shepherd's Rod Tract, pgs. 85, 86 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"It is only now that we are beginning to learn how God does His harvesting of the various spiritual crops. He is first to harvest the righteous (the teachable ones) from the Seventh-day Adventist church (the house of Judah); next, He is to harvest His people from among the Protestants (the house of Israel); and last, He will harvest from the heathen them that will turn and worship Him."--12 Symbolic Code, No. 8, pgs. 14, 15 (bold emphasis added).

There are, however, two classes of people in the Laodicean church (Judah): (1) The unfaithful descendants of Judah who are "lukewarm" (Rev. 3:16) and asleep (2T337) and spiritually "blind," and who say that they "have need of nothing," need no more truth (Rev. 3:17), which is the "eyesalve" (Rev. 3:18). (2) The faithful descendants of Judah who wake up and see that they need more truth, and who search and find the "eyesalve" (Rev. 3:18). Both classes are symbolized in a "chariot" as "grisled horses" and "bay horses" (Zech. 6:3). [If you want to know more about these symbolic horses, then click on that study at the end.]

"The double team of horses, and their two kinds of colors, pulling {the same chariot} in two different directions are immediately seen to symbolize a double set of church leaders (the Seventh-day Adventist {grisled horse} leaders and the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist {bay horse} leaders) unlike in character and aim."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 22, pg. 22 (bold emphasis, braces added).

The grisled horses symbolize the unfaithful leaders of Judah in the Seventh-day Adventist church (Laodicea) who are "lukewarm" (Rev. 3:16) and spiritually "blind" (Rev. 3:17). Therefore, they do not believe in the power of God, and they say that what He said He would do will "never be fulfilled"!

LUKEWARM LAODICEANS SAY SOME BIBLE TEXTS WILL NEVER BE FULFILLED

Since the last Christian church in the latter days is symbolized by the "seventh candlestick" (Laodicea), which is the Seventh-day Adventist church, then among them are the descendants of the early Christian Jews of Judah who took the gospel to the Gentiles, and married them and lost their racial identity. But their leaders are also confused about Jeremiah's prophecy--"Judah...in the latter days" (Jer. 30:3,24), and Jacob's prophecy--"the scepter shall not depart from Judah" (Gen. 49:10) in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1). They do not want to admit that this Judah is the non-Christian Jews, which would mean that they are deceived Christians who have accepted a false Messiah. So rather than support the work of the non-Christian Jews as some other Christians do, they have their own solution to the problem. They stated in their Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, pgs. 36, 37 that these texts about Jacob's son, "Judah" (Gen. 49:10), in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1) will "never be fulfilled" (1TG5:5:0)!

"The brethren {in the Seventh-day Adventist church--Laodicea} who for years have been preaching the Judgment for the Dead have gone spiritually blind and foolish, do not even expect a message of the Judgment for the Living and are insultingly saying, 'These prophecies are never to be fulfilled!'"--1 Timely Greetings, No. 5, pg. 9:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Well now, that is a quick and easy way of getting rid of a perplexing problem--just sweep it under the rug and state emphatically, "What God said in the Bible about Judah in the last days will never be fulfilled; because we do not think that what He said in the Bible He can do." Not only is that blasphemy, but their denial of God's word is also accusing Him of being a liar!

"God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said {Gen. 49:10}, and shall He not do it {Jer.30:3}? or hath He spoken {Jer.30:24}, and shall He not make it good {in the last days--Gen. 49:1}?"--Numbers 23:19 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Since God is not a liar, then He will do what "He said...and make it good." And that is the reason why the faithful leaders of Judah in Laodicea, the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists (the bay horses), who have accepted the "eyesalve" of truth (Rev. 3:18), believe and teach that God will "make it good." But what will He "make good"? what Jacob prophesied about "Judah" (Gen. 49:10) in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1).

DAVIDIANS TEACH JACOB'S PROPHECY FULFILLED IN THE LAST DAYS

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him {Judah} shall the gathering of the people be."--Genesis 49:10 (bold emphasis, braces added).

A "scepter" is "a staff or baton borne by a sovereign as an emblem of authority" (Webster's Dict.). It shall "not depart from Judah" until "Shiloh come." Who is Shiloh?

"The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took the child in his arms, and held it up before the altar. After handing it back to its mother {Mary}, he inscribed the name 'Jesus' on the roll of the first-born. Little did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it was the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory....This unconscious babe was the promised seed to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace giver. It was He who declared Himself to Moses as the I AM."--Desire of Ages, pg. 52:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Shiloh, 'the peace giver,' who was to appear before a king should cease to reign on David's throne."--Desire of Ages, pg. 203:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Jacob did not prophecy (Gen. 49:10) about the first advent of the Messiah (Shiloh) in the days of Judah in captivity under Rome, because they had no kingdom, no throne of David, and no king David to sit on it. Instead, he prophecied that before "Shiloh" (Jesus the Messiah) would come at His second advent in the "last days," God would set up a kingdom (Dan. 2:28,44) and a king from among the Christian descendants of Judah would sit on David's throne, and that He would be a "lawgiver" and hold a "scepter" of authority. And that is what Isaiah also prophecied:

"For unto us {Judah} a child {Jesus} is born {at His first advent}, unto us a son is given: and the government {just shortly before His second advent} shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government {in the last days--Gen. 49:1} and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom {Dan. 2:28,44}, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever."--Isaiah 9:6, 7 (bold emphasis, braces added).

Since Judah was under Roman captivity and did not have a king David sitting on David's throne at the first advent of "Shiloh" (Jesus), then it must be the Christian descendants of Judah in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1) who will have a king David just before "Shiloh" comes at His second advent. And that is what Jeremiah also prophecied:

"Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day {sun}, and my covenant of the night {moon}, and that there should not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant with David my servant, that he should not have a son {literal descendant} to reign upon his throne {in the latter days}."--Jeremiah 33:20, 21 (bold emphasis, braces added).

And what was this covenant that the Lord had made with ancient David?

"The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body {a literal descendant of David} will I set upon thy throne {in the last days--Gen. 49:1}."--Psalms 132:11 (boldings, braces added by author).

The fact that the covenant of God with David has not yet been broken, because we still have day and night (Jer. 33:20,21), then as Jacob prophesied, there will be a Christian descendant of Judah in the "last days" who will sit on David's throne, as a visible king who is holding a "scepter" of authority. And "upon the throne of David" (Isa. 9:7) will "Shiloh" (Jesus) reign as the invisible King of kings before He appears visibly at His second advent. And this is what Hosea also prophesied:

"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king {lost their kingdom},...afterward shall the children of Israel return {to the Holy Land}, and seek the Lord their God {Shiloh--Jesus}, and David their king {a Christian descendant of Judah}; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days."--Hosea 3:4, 5 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"In this part of the prophecy, you see, we are told that after they have sojourned among the Gentiles for 'many days' without a king, and without any sign of identification (having been entirely lost sight of as a nation and as a people), they shall finally have antitypical David {a descendant from Judah to} rule over them. This would not be ancient David as he was already dead when this prophecy was made. Neither could this promised David be Christ Himself, for Christ is the son of David (Matt. 22:42), not David himself; and if He {Christ} shall, moreover, sit on the throne of David (Lu. 1:32) {Isa. 9:7}, then David {the visible king} must have a throne for Him {Christ the invisible King} to sit on."--2 Timely Greetings, No. 43, pg. 17:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Since therefore from the 'stem' of Jesse came the 'rod' (David), and from the rod sprang the Branch (Christ) {Isa. 11:1}, David the visible king and Christ the invisible King of kings shall 'in that day'--in our time {the last days--Gen. 49:1}--constitute the 'ensign,' and 'to it shall the Gentiles seek."--8 Tract, pg. 47:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

JUDAH--THE FAITHFUL DAVIDIANS IN THE LAST DAYS

"Since the work we are now doing is not sponsored by any man, and since God has led us all the way as definitely as He led the Exodus movement, making our way inch by inch as Providence directs, and also since we are the only people who have the message of the re-establishment of the House of David, and of restoring 'all things' (Mark 9:12) and are therefore named Davidians,..."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 9, pg. 6.

"Although Micah forespoke sad news {Mic. 3:12} for ancient Judah, he forespoke this joyful news {Micah 4:1} for Judah of {the Christian Jews who descended to} the latter days {Gen. 49:1}. Trying, indeed, must it have been for {ancient} Judah to look forward to her own destruction. Conversely, though, it must have encouraged her {ancient Judah} to know that the time would come for her {Judah Davidians in the last days} to return {to the Holy Land--Gen. 49:10} and to 'build the old waste places,' 'to raise up the foundations of many generations' (Isa. 58:12) {to restore the House of David}. And still more joyful should she {Judah Davidians} now be to learn that the time {last days--Mic. 4:1} for her returning to God and to the homeland has actually come!"--1 Timely Greetings, No. 25, pg. 4:2.

"First the {ancient} kingdom of Judah was to be dissolved--Zion plowed as a field {Mic. 3:12} and Jerusalem reduced to heaps {by the Romans in A.D. 70}.

"Then in the latter days {Mic. 4:1} it {Judah, the house of David--144,000 Davidians} is to be re-established, and exalted above the kingdoms of the Gentiles."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 25, pg. 11:3,4 (bold emphasis, braces added).

First, Micah prophesied (Mic. 3:12) that Judah, the house of David, would be destroyed and their temple site plowed as a field (which the Romans did in A.D. 70); and that is why Jesus said "there shall not be left here one stone left upon another" (Mt. 24:2). Second, Micah continued (Mic. 4:1) and said that in the "last days" there would come the restoration of the kingdom of Judah (144,000 Davidians). And that is why Jesus said Elijah would "first come and restore all things" (Mt. 17:11). [If you want to know more about the two Elijah's, then click on that study at the end.]

"Specifically, the prophet exhorts all {Seventh-day Adventists} penitently to turn unto the house of Judah (the latter-day Kingdom of Judah--Mic. 4; Ezek. 37:16-22), the church, in the purification of which are to be sealed 12,000 out of each of the 12 tribes, as first fruits {144,000 Davidians}."--14 Tract, pg. 22:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"Remember, too, that you {Davidians} are candidates for the first fruits, to be either one with or one of the 144,000 {who make up Judah--the house of David}, that you are to be without guile in your mouths (Rev. 14:5)."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 4, pg. 27:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

SIX REASONS PROVE JUDAH TODAY IS THE DAVIDIANS

The following six reasons prove why the text below about Judah applies to the faithful Davidian Seventh-day Adventists in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1):

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him {Judah} shall the gathering of the people be."--Genesis 49:10 (bold emphasis, braces added).

(1) The Davidians are the only Christians in the last seventh "candlestick" (Rev. 1:20), the church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14), who teach that God will drive out of the Holy Land all the uncoverted Jews, Arabs, and Gentiles (Zeph. 2:2,9; Zech. 14:2; Lk. 21:24). And then He will restore the kingdom of Judah--the house of David in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1; Dan. 2:28,44), and give to them the Holy Land as their inheritance.

(2) Only they teach that in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1) the faithful Davidian Seventh-day Adventists are the descendants of the early Christian Jews from Judah, who will be sealed either as one "of" or one "with the 144,000 (1 T.G. 4:27:1; 2 S.C. 5:8:1), and stand with the "Lamb" (Jesus) on Mt. Zion (Rev. 14:1) as "kings and priests unto God" (5 Test. 475:2), while antitypical David sits on the throne of David as the visible king in Christ's theocratic kingdom (Dan. 2:28,44).

(3) They Davidians teach that in God's kingdom the throne of David will be established as a Theocracy, which is a "government of a state by immediate divine guidance" (Webster's Dict.).

"There are two principals brought to light in this statement: One is religious and the other is civil. The one religious is none other than the Lord their {invisible} God; and the one civil is David their {visible} king. If He is to raise David to them then it must be that they are going to have a theocratic form of government as they had in David's time."--13 Symbolic Code, No. 1, pg. 12:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"As...the descendants of Jacob, again becoming a kingdom, appoint to themselves one head (Hos. 1:11), 'David their {visible} king' (Hos. 3:5), 'and seek the Lord their God {invisible King},' it is evident that the church, in the time of the Loud Cry of the Third Angel's Message, will be a theocracy."--8 Tract, pg. 43:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

(4) They Davidians teach that this antitypical David will sit as the visible king on ancient David's throne, having the "scepter" of authority to rule the saints, while Jesus will also sit (rule) invisibly on David's throne (Isa. 9:7) to guide king David--a theocratic kingdom.

"The land of our fathers, Palestine, then will be clean from all wicked and wickedness, and Christ's people will be there with Christ's principles and influence ruling over them."--12 Symbolic Code, No. 1, pg. 8 (bold emphasis added).

(5) Only Davidians teach that this theocratic form of government (kingdom) with antitypical David as the visible king, will be set up before "Shiloh" (Christ the Messiah) will come again at His second advent.

(6) And only they teach that in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1) the faithful 144,000 Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, the descendants of the early Christian Jews from Judah, will go out to gather a "great multitude" of people from Babylon (Rev. 18:4) into God's kingdom in Palestine; because "unto him shall the gathering of the people be" (Gen. 49:10). But who is this "him"? Is it Jesus? or is it Judah? or both?

To answer the above question about "him," it should first be noted that while Jacob prophesied about his son Judah (Gen. 49:10) in the "last days" (Gen. 49:1), he also mentioned "Shiloh" (Jesus). And even though Peter did say they were living in the "last days" (Acts 2:17) of the "seventy weeks" (Dan. 9:24), and they did gather many Jewish people (Acts 2:41,47) from Judah and many Gentiles (Acts 13:46), yet, this "gathering of the people" (Gen. 49:10) unto "him" can not refer strictly to the first advent of Jesus (Shiloh) for this reason: Jacob also prophesied that Judah was to have a king holding a "scepter" of authority, who would be their "lawgiver" just before the coming of "Shiloh" (Jesus the Messiah). At Jesus' first advent Judah had no king or a "lawgiver" with a "scepter," because the Roman Ceasars (who were not descendants of Judah) had their own scepter of authority over them!

It is obvious, then, that Jacob's prophecy about Judah must have a dual application: First, it applies partially to the Christian Jews from Judah in the "last days" during the time of the apostles at Jesus' first advent, when the people (Jews and Gentiles) were gathered unto "Him"--Jesus who was visible. But they had no king or lawgiver sitting of David's throne.

"The Holy Spirit through Moses had foretold Him {Jesus} as a prophet {Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22} sent from God. Through Jacob it had been declared that unto Him {Jesus at His first advent} should the gathering of the people be;..."--Desire of Ages, pg. 193:1 (bold emphasis, braces

Second, Jacob's prophecy about Judah primarily applies fully (not partially) to the Judah (144,000 Davidians) in the "last days," just before "Shiloh" (Jesus) comes at His second advent. At that time Judah will have a "lawgiver"--a visible king (antitypical David) who will be holding a "scepter" of authority. And there will be a gathering to God's kingdom a "great multitude" (Rev. 7:9) of people unto "him"--Judah, because Jesus will be sitting invisibly on David's throne (Isa. 9:7).

"Here {Gen. 49:10} Moses wrote {Jacob's prophecy who said} that the gathering of the people shall be unto Judah, and that when Shiloh {Jesus} comes {2nd advent}, Judah shall have a king and a lawgiver of her own {which they did not have at His first advent}."--1 Timely sGreetings, No. 15, pg. 6:3 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"The 144,000 {Davidians} descendants of Jacob {through his son Judah}, whose {Jewish} fathers were assimilated by the Gentile nations and who thus down through the centuries lost their racial identity, are the first fruits, the first to be gathered unto Judah. They are those {144,000 Davidians} who stand on 'Mount Zion with the Lamb.' Rev. 14:1. The faithful descendants of the Jews who composed the early Christian church, and who also lost their national identity {by marrying Gentiles and} by naming themselves Christians (Acts 11:26), are also to be gathered from everywhere {a great multitude} and brought unto Judah {God's latter-day kingdom}."--1 Timely Greetings, No. 15, pg. 10:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

JUDAH DAVIDIANS WILL HAVE A TIME OF TROUBLE

"Associate yourselves {state confederacy--League of Nations}, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves {state confederacy--United Nations}, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves {church and state confederacy--New World Order}, and ye shall be broken in pieces."--Isaiah 8:9 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"God here is challenging a move toward a federation of nations.

"With World War I we began to hear serious proposals for the associating of nations into a single league {League of Nations}. Today the proposal is revived, and efforts are being made toward forming a strong and workable union of nations {United Nations}. Indeed, not only is the idea of international federation growing more and more prevalent, but in the minds of many great men, there is the positive conviction that the successful continuance of their nation's way of life is utterly dependent upon the closest association and cooperation of all those nations which share their way of life.

"The warning given in this chapter to nations and peoples is not to associate and gird themselves or take counsel together, as it would only come to naught. There may be some significance in the repetitions of the warning {Isa. 8:9}. If so, it would indicate that either two {League of Nations and United Nations} or possibly three attempts would be made among nations to associate and gird themselves, and it would only end in complete failure. If there should yet be another attempt {New World Order} and there be involved a war {time of trouble} against Judah, then Judah {144,000 Davidians}, having no adequate means of defense among themselves, will have to let God be their means of deliverance {from the death decree}."--13 Symbolic Code, No. 3, pgs. 6, 7 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"If God's people {Judah--144,000 Davidians} are approaching the time when they must either confederate {with the New World Order} or {be threatened by a death decree to} sacrifice their lives, they must be developing that faith which will cause them to believe that 'in those days shall men {locusts} seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.' Rev. 9:6."--13 Symbolic Code, No. 3, pgs. 8, 9 (bold emphasis, braces added) [If you want to know more about the locusts, then click on that study at the end].

"But there will yet be a {death} decree before the fifth trumpet ends, that if men {of Judah} dare to disobey, they must face the threatened penalty of death {by the New World Order}. Those {of Judah}, however, who have been sealed {144,000 Davidians} when the decree comes will seek death {oppose the confederacy and be subject to its death decree} and death will flee from them. God will not let them {144,000 Davidians of Judah} die. By faith it is not difficult to understand how this could be, for you know that if God wills that you live you simply cannot die. We already saw a demonstration of that in Daniel's time {Dan. 6:20-23}. Men's lives are in the hands of God, and if He chooses to preserve the lives of some {144,000 Davidiansof Judah} there is none who can snuff them out, not even the Devil."--12 Symbolic Code, No. 2, pg. 14:1 (bold emphasis, braces added).

"This prophecy {Isa. 8:9} declares that the {church-state} confederacy {New World Order} will be a snare--a trap--and that many will fall and be taken in it. It will be a fearful trap and will separate God's people {in the Seventh-day Adventist church}. Thus is the Lord going to test all His people and let them reveal just how much faith each of them has. In the face of this warning, we {Judah Davidians} must make the necessary preparation so that we will not fall into the snare. God has clearly forewarned His people so that they will not be taken by surprise."--13 Symbolic Code, No. 3, pg. 10:4 (bold emphasis, braces added).

O Judah {Davidians}, keep thy solemn feasts [the truth of the sanctuary] {2 S.R. 139:2--Judgment of the Living message}, perform thy vows {to God}: for the wicked {in the Seventh-day Adventist church} shall no more pass through thee {as members}; he is utterly cut off {die in the slaughter of Ezek. 9}.' Nah. 1:15."--4 Tract, pg. 61:2 (bold emphasis, braces added).

If you want to know more about the Laodicean church, then click on---> STUDY7A.

If you want to know more about the locusts, then click on---> STUDY28.

If you want to know more about Elijah the prophet, then click on---> STUDY5A.

If you want to know more about the two times of the last days, then click on---> STUDY.