People tend to confuse these terms, but the words "Hebrew", "Jew", "the House of Israel" and "the House of Judah" have never designated the same people or nation.

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Bishop J. A. Allen of California, speaking of this modern confusion wrote: 

• "For ecclesiastical writers to ignore the representative national and racial Israelite names of Joseph, Ephraim and Samaria (the name of the ancient capital of Israel, as used in history and prophecy) and substitute for them by the term "the Jews," either as a name or as a people, calling them the sole representatives of the race of Israel, is not only the height of ignorance, but the great ecclesiastical crime of the years. It is truly an enemy who has done this".

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Before continuing, it's important to understand the difference between the terms Hebrew, Israelite and Jew.  

We read in Ezekiel 37, that the two "pieces of wood" which are now separated, but are to be reunited, represent, on the one hand, Judah (son of Leah), and on the other, Joseph (son of Rachel) and the rest of the house of Israel associated with him. Leah and Rachel (Jacob's wives), are identified as "the two families whom the Lord chose to build the House of Israel". The promise of the birthright covenant was given to Joseph, son of Rachel, and the kingship was given to Judah, son of Leah. 

• Jeremiah 33:24 "Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘The LORD has rejected the two families He had chosen’? So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation."

• Ruth 4:11 “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.”

However, the Bible never uses the word "Jew" as a collective term for all the nations descended from Jacob-Israel.

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The House of Israel and the House of Judah went into captivity separately, at different times and by different nations: Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians, while Judah was later taken captive by the Babylonians.

Scripture also asserts that the House of Israel and the House of Judah do not all inhabit the same country, territory, region or continent, but their nations were scattered across the four corners of the earth, and will only be reunited after the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom

Therefore, those who preach or teach that the Jewish nation and the nation of Israel have already been reunited and they are occupying present-day State of Israel, are propagating a false and deceiving narrative that is not substantiated in the Bible.

To this end, the Reverend Canon Faucett M.A. states in his "Critical and Expository Bible Encyclopedia": 

• "The idea that the House of Israel has been amalgamated and incorporated with the "Jews," is one of the most amazing errors in Biblical History."

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Differences between a Hebrew, an Israelite and a Jew

Hebrew 

Heber/Eber, Abraham's ancestor, was the 4th generation after Shem; and only Heber's descendants are Hebrews. Abraham is a Hebrew, but not an Israelite, as this term only designates the descendants of Jacob. Abraham is also not a Jew, for this term only applies to the descendants of Judah (Yehuda), son of Jacob, initially called Judeans, but renamed Jews around the year 1275.

Israelite

All descendants of the 12 tribes of Jacob are Hebrew Israelites.

Jew

Jacob-Israel, son of Isaac, begat 12 sons, one of whom was Judah (Yehuda), from whom the Judeans (later renamed “Jews”) are descended. Judah (Yehuda), whose Hebrew name means “thanksgiving” or “praise”, was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, his first wife. Only Yehuda's descendants are Hebrew Israelites Jews.

You be the judge, and we encourage you to do your own research.

Click on the “back” button to discover more interesting facts about biblical Jews.

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