Disciplined Israel
After 200 years of existence, and nearly continual disobedience, God disciplined Israel by conquering them by the Assyrians. Israel is sometimes called Ephraim (by the largest tribe) or Samaria (by the largest city). They began to lose their association with God by revelation.
- The ten lost tribes were not lost because we don't know where they went, they were lost to Israel (those joined to God by revelation) because they intermarried and became the Samaritans.
Judah also was disciplined and taken captive by the Babylonians. But were permitted to return to their home and rebuild Jerusalem under the prophet Nehemiah, and according to revelation concerning king Cyrus. They became the ones called 'Jews' and also teetered on the edge of no longer being joined to God by revelation.