There are also those – mainly among Jewish “believers” – who base their doctrine of the true nature of Messiah upon mere two verses in Scripture, namely on Romans 1:3-4, insisting that Yeshua was the Son of G-d only in the sense in which G-d calls Israel/Ephraim His “son.”¹⁸ Their claim is that Yeshua was only the “Son of Man,” as He customarily referred to Himself, yet not divine until AFTER the resurrection. They consent to Him having the 7 spirits of G-d according to Rev. 3:1, but adamantly deny His  like-nature with G-d. Their contention that Yeshua is both Savior, Messiah and King of Israel, yet not divine from birth as a Babe in Bethlehem undoes salvation¹⁹ for themselves and for anyone they deceive into believing as they do. 

The ova in Miriam’s womb from which G-d formed a body of flesh for His Son ²⁰ was human, but the Seed that entered that ova was Divine, the Word of G-d implanted by the power of G-d and the working of His Spirit. Apart from the pure and incorruptible DNA of the Son of G-d and the life in His blood, there is no salvation, as there then would be neither restoration nor recreation. Mankind would remain trapped by the power of sin inherent in every man since the trespass in the Garden of Eden, which led to corruption and death. 

And again there are those who made a whole doctrine of who Ephraim²¹ is, as though it was of major importance that Ephraim is not just one of the twelve tribes, but actually is the Church which fulfills the prophetic restoration of Ephraim. Of such importance is this interpretation to these people, that grievous dissensions have arisen within the brotherhood of believers. Yet, G-d promised the restoration of all twelve tribes, Abraham's e.g. Jacob's natural descendants of tribes - with the exception of Dan - in the book of Revelation where Ephraim is referred to as Joseph (who represents both tribes, namely Manasseh and Ephraim); while Levi, who used not to be numbered among the twelve will replace Dan who, standing for judgment, is no longer part of the whole House of Israel. 

But whether Ephraim is called by his former name or renamed Joseph, why focus so intensively on this as though it changes the nature of the Gospel and affects Messiah? Nothing changes about the Church being the Assembly of the Firstborn from the dead, among whom many may be descendants of Ephraim. Why get carried away with interpretations and doctrines, which only sidetrack from what is truly essential and of principal importance? 

What does it matter who Ephraim²² is, as long as one knows that G-d’s promises are sure and His every Word proves true?²³ None of His promises to Israel will fail in literal fulfillment, nor those He made to every one who is part of the Body of Messiah. Why focus on things not quintessential regarding the Gospel? Why can’t the former Gentile believe that he has indeed been joined into the ”Commonwealth of Israel,” spiritually and literally, from G-d’s point of view. G-d gives us ample patterns: 

1. To begin with, when Noah blessed Shem as being the “heir” of his blessings, he assigned to Japhet “co-heirship,“ because he said, and “Japhet shall SHARE in Shem’s tents.”²⁴ Although the “tents” are Shem’s, Japhet will share in them as an equal. It is the first biblical hint to Gentiles being included as “co-heirs” of the covenants, promises and blessings given to the partriarchs and the whole House of Israel.

2. The “sign” of the covenant with Abraham is not only on Abraham’s own flesh and blood descendants, but also on those born in his house, albeit not of his own flesh and blood; and those bought into his household²⁵.

3. When Jacob returned after 20 years²⁶ to the Promised Land, he had become two companies²⁷: one was of his own flesh and blood, the second of servants²⁸bought or born in his household, but not flesh and blood descendants.

4. Joseph was sent by G-d ahead of His people to save many survivors²⁹ for Israel. However, Israel numbered only 70 souls³⁰ at that time. Besides Israel, all the Egyptians were saved³¹  and they were not related in any way to Israel.  Moreover, “all the earth” came to Joseph for bread³². They all were not Israelites, yet all of them were saved by coming to this one man – Joseph, the “Man of the Bread.”

5. At the time of the Exodus, not only the Israelites were led out of Egypt by  Moses, but also a large company of non-Israelites – the mixed multitude³³ – together with them. If any of them wanted to partake of the Passover lamb, they too needed the sign of the covenant on them³⁴.

These are only 5 examples that clearly foreshadow the “mystery” of how the Gentiles would one day be included in Israel, in her salvation. Nowhere does it state that as a requirement for the Gentile to be included he must, as a necessity, be a literal flesh-and-blood descendant of one of the lost 10 tribes.

Even though some Messianic Jews treat their engrafted former Gentile³⁵ brethren as “second-class Israelites” this does not nullify what G-d ordained, promised and foreshadowed in clear patterns: the Gentile joined into Messiah by faith and baptism has ceased to be a Gentile but has become a new man and, in G-d’s book, an Israelite, regardless of tribal affiliation. The non-acceptance of this truth by some Messianic Jews does not nullify it. There is no need to create a new, and non-biblical, doctrine about being Ephraimites. 

Without a doubt, there are descendants of the 10 lost tribes to be found in churches and in every denomination, but there is still no need to add to what is said in Eph. 2:11-29, and create the “the church is Ephraim” doctrine. The legitimate Church is the Assembly of the Firstborn from the dead, a company of the Bride and Bride Maids. And among them may be those who are literal descendants of the lost 10 tribes. 

If G-d cannot literally fulfill His promise and needs Batya Wooten ³⁶ to help Him out with the regathering of the 10 lost  tribes, then G-d is neither Omni-potent nor Omni-scient, but limited, and needs help in explaining how He is fulfilling His promises. 

Why can’t we just believe G-d and His Word, trust, wait and obey?³⁷ We are warned not to add nor subtract from the Word of G-d; yet it seems there are always those who contend that G-d’s revelation in the Scriptures is incomplete and must add on to it and “explain” things by twisting the Word out of context.