God first uses the name Israel to identify Jacob, the progenitor of the twelve tribes of Israel, as seen in Genesis 32:28 where He declares Jacob's name to be Israel for having struggled with God and men and prevailed. From this point, the Bible uses Jacob and Israel interchangeably. In Genesis 48:16, God through Jacob places the name Israel on the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, not on Judah, indicating a distinction in God's view. The term "house of Israel" appears in various scriptures referring to all the tribes initially, but by the time of King Saul, God begins to distinguish Israel from Judah, attaching the name Israel to the other tribes apart from Judah. During King David's time, this distinction continues, with the house of Israel representing the ten tribes, as evidenced by their claim of ten shares in the king. Over 250 years before they became known as the Ten Lost Tribes, God reveals this division was already in place, excluding Judah from the name Israel unless referring to all the children of Israel. After Solomon's reign, a final separation occurs, with Israel comprising the ten tribes and Judah including Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites. After deportation, the house of Israel takes a path of historical oblivion, unlike Judah's path of prominence. The Bible consistently identifies as Israel those nations known as the Ten Lost Tribes, rather than the house of Judah. God indicates in Amos 9:9 that He will sift the house of Israel among all nations, yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground, affirming that to Him, the house of Israel is not lost and exists today. The Bible also speaks of a future reunification of the house of Israel and the house of Judah at the end of this age, implying the continued existence of the house of Israel alongside the house of Judah.

The mass expulsion of the children of Israel from Canaan by Assyrian and Babylonian kings left the land nearly devoid of Israelites. As a consequence of their habitual rejection of God's law, the people became slaves to Gentile nations. God established a specific duration for Israel's punishment, as recorded in Leviticus 26, where He states He will punish Israel for a length of seven times, referring to duration rather than intensity. Using the year-for-a-day principle, seven times equates to 2,520 years, beginning with the fall of the Kingdom of Israel in 718 BC and ending in AD 1802. This timeframe serves as a vital search criterion for identifying modern-day Israel. Scriptural evidence indicates that the punishment of the house of Israel persisted long after the initial deportation. Daniel, writing about 178 years after the fall in 718 BC, notes that the exiles of the Kingdom of Israel, referred to as those far off, had not returned. In about AD 31, Christ declares He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, indicating they were still lost and not returned to Canaan. Decades later, the apostle James addresses a letter to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, showing that the house of Israel remained in a state of punishment and exile more than 750 years after Assyria's conquest. Additional references, such as Ezekiel's symbolic act of lying on his side for 390 days to represent 390 years of punishment for the house of Israel, and Hosea's allusion to a progressive mercy after periods of affliction, reinforce the extended duration of this punishment. The calculated end of the 2,520-year punishment in AD 1802 provides a specific marker to trace the identity of modern-day Israel.

The history of Israel begins with Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel, marking his descendants as Israelites. Jacob fathered twelve sons, who became the forebears of the twelve tribes of Israel. The inheritance was split, with the scepter, the right to rule, going to Judah, and the birthright, the double portion of inheritance, bestowed upon Joseph, whose sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were adopted by Jacob as half-tribes. During the time of monarchy, the tribes divided into two houses: the house of Israel, comprising ten tribes in the northern areas led by the half-tribes of Joseph, and Judah, including Judah, Benjamin, and most of Levi. After Solomon's death, the house of Israel rebelled against David's line, establishing their own monarchy under Jeroboam and soon falling into idolatry, rejecting the Levites, and breaking God's Sabbaths. Within just over two centuries, Assyria conquered the house of Israel, capturing many of its people, and as a whole, they never returned to Palestine. Though some post-captivity Israelites, identified as Scythians, briefly resettled their ancestral lands during Josiah's reign, they soon rejoined the main body of Israelites near the Caspian Sea. Meanwhile, Jeremiah's prophecy makes clear that David's dynasty would perpetually rule the house of Israel, not just Judah, underscoring the enduring significance of this division in God's plan.

The Ephraimite Jeroboam led a successful tax-revolt against Rehoboam, resulting in the division of Solomon's kingdom into two nations. The ten northern tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam, who instituted religious changes that became a sin for the house of Israel. This sin of the house of Jeroboam was so grave that it led to efforts to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth. Because of Jeroboam's refusal to obey God, he never realized the conditional promise God made to build him an enduring house. The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not depart from them, causing the Lord to be very angry with Israel and remove them from His sight. God judges that backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah, despite Israel's idolatry and fall. Through prophets like Hosea, God warns Judah not to follow Israel's course of harlotry and idolatry, yet Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity, and Judah stumbles with them.

Though Israel had disappointed God, and He had punished them severely, He did not cast them off completely. He promised to sift the house of Israel among all nations, yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground. Conventional wisdom declares the house of Israel, the northern ten tribes led by the half-tribes of Joseph, to be lost, but Jesus Himself declared He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and He sent His disciples to them as well. He recognized that the bulk of ten-tribed Israel was not among the Jews of His day, implying other sheep not of that fold. The apostle James wrote an epistle around AD 60 to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, indicating he knew their whereabouts. When the Assyrians conquered Israel and dispersed her population, only the house of Judah remained in the Promised Land. Through prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea, God provides directions to find where Israel lives in the last days, primarily to the north and northwest of Jerusalem. Israel, headed by Ephraim, would inhabit islands and coastlands far from Jerusalem, dominating as a sea power in the area of the North Sea, and be among the leaders of the world's nations in the end time. These clues, along with hints of colonization due to burgeoning population and prosperity, point to Britain as the location of Israelites, primarily of the half-tribes of Joseph, the birthright tribes. God places significance in names, as seen with Dan, whose name helps trace migratory Israel after captivity, with place names carrying Dan found throughout northwestern Europe. Additionally, God's promise to Abraham that in Isaac his seed shall be called, and Jacob's blessing on Joseph's sons to bear the names of the patriarchs, particularly Isaac, suggest Israel would call itself by Isaac's name in later times. Ancient records after Assyria's fall mention a new people around the Caspian Sea known as Sakai, Sacae, and other variations, believed to derive from Isaac, eventually becoming Saxon, a name associated with the Anglo-Saxon peoples of northwestern Europe and its colonies, aligning with biblical indications of Israel's location in the last days.

The House of Israel, often represented by the northern ten tribes led by Ephraim and Manasseh, is a central focus in understanding God's enduring covenant and promises. Though they have forsaken Him time and again, God has not utterly abandoned them, even when His righteous wrath led to their punishment and scattering among the nations. In Jeremiah 12:7-9, He declares, "I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest; it cries out against Me; therefore I have hated it." Yet, despite this forsaking, His desire is to show mercy and bring them back to favor, as seen in Ezekiel 20:44, where He states, "Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel." God knows precisely where the House of Israel resides, even if they are considered lost to the world. In Matthew 15:24, Jesus affirms His mission, saying, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," and in Matthew 10:6, He instructs His disciples to "go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This indicates that their location was known to Him and His followers, despite centuries passing since their dispersion. James 1:1 further supports this by addressing his letter to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, implying a dispersed yet identifiable people. Prophecies reveal that the House of Israel will return from the north and west, as stated in Jeremiah 3:12, "Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, backsliding Israel,'" and in Isaiah 49:12, "Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west." They are described as dwelling in the chief of the nations, in isles and coastlands afar off, indicating their presence in significant, powerful regions northwest of Jerusalem, as noted in Jeremiah 31:7 and Isaiah 41:1. Additionally, their pioneering and colonizing nature is foretold in Genesis 49:22, where Joseph's branches run over the wall, signifying a people who expand beyond boundaries. God's plan includes a second exodus for the House of Israel, gathering them from among the nations to their own land, as prophesied in Ezekiel 36:24, "For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land." This restoration is not based on their righteousness but for His name's sake, to uphold His reputation and fulfill His promises. His Word assures that though they have been sifted through the nations, not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground, for He marks them wherever they are, ensuring their ultimate return and redemption.

The promises and blessings given to the patriarchs serve as vital search criteria for identifying modern-day Israel. Isaac's blessing to Jacob foretold wealth, power, and preeminence among nations, pointing to future generations of Israel rather than just Jacob's lifetime. Jacob, as a prophet, provided further insight into Israel's future through prophecies concerning his sons in the last days, as recorded in Genesis 49. These prophecies are significant markers for recognizing Israel in modern times. In a notable act of faith, Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, declaring them as his own and ensuring they bore the name of Israel. He emphasized their connection to the family of Abraham and the structure of God's promises, despite their birth in Egypt. Jacob bestowed a greater blessing on the younger son, Ephraim, predicting he would become a multitude of nations, while reserving a lesser blessing for the firstborn, Manasseh. This deliberate crossing of hands during the blessing underscores critical distinctions in the lineage and destiny of Israel. The name Israel itself, given to Jacob by God, signifies a deep spiritual understanding and connection to divine purpose. In Genesis 35:10, God reaffirmed this renaming at Bethel, declaring that Jacob's name would henceforth be Israel, accompanied by a reiteration of promises made to Abraham. True Israelites are defined by a faith that God prevails and provides according to His purposes, a conviction rooted in the experiences and blessings of the patriarchs.

The modern-day House of Israel can be identified through specific, well-defined criteria that point decisively to their descendants today. These peoples will have met these criteria at some point in their history. Using reverse inductive reasoning, certain peoples can be deselected as not belonging to the House of Israel, while others are recognized as part of it. There are numbers of Israelites in Spain, where the people of Zerah founded settlements, and Jeremiah stopped on his way to Ireland. Northern Germany, the old Prussia before unification, is also likely largely Israelite. Among the easiest to identify are the descendants of Joseph, specifically the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, due to their wealth as recipients of the birthright blessing. Ephraim, primarily the Angles and Saxons, roamed Northern Europe, eventually invading England in AD 449. Over time, some Ephraimites migrated to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and other nations of the former British Empire. Ephraim grew into the company of nations promised by God, with the British peoples becoming the multitude of nations prophesied for Ephraim. The peoples of the British Empire, and later the Commonwealth, are the ten thousands of Ephraim who pushed others to the ends of the earth, as foretold by Moses. Britain's power grew slowly, protected by geography and the hand of God, who miraculously saved her from destruction on multiple occasions. After the 2,520-year punishment ended in the early 1800s, God bestowed the birthright blessings on Ephraim. Following the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in AD 1815, Britain redrew European boundaries, wielding unprecedented control over the continent. Britain's dominance extended beyond Europe, with economic, political, and military influence over much of the world, creating a vast Empire through maritime supremacy. Her people pushed to India, Africa, the Americas, China, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous islands, maintaining an Empire on which the sun never set. Britain also assumed control of strategic gates near enemy territories, securing military and commercial hegemony as a fulfillment of divine promises. In France, a mix of Israelite and non-Israelite peoples resides, with some descendants of Scandinavian Israelites, including the Norsemen or Normans, who invaded over centuries and later influenced England through the Norman Conquest of AD 1066. Zebulun, identified with the Dutch, is recognized as a seafaring people with Amsterdam Harbor as a significant global port, fulfilling the prophecy of dwelling by the haven of the sea.

In the early days, the children of Israel benefited from a highly centralized form of government called a theocracy, the rule of God, with Him as the capstone. Israel, during the theocracy, lacked a capital city, as its government was not based on earth but in heaven. Over time, under King Saul, Israel became a political confederation of its twelve tribes. God later replaced Saul with David, of the tribe of Judah, who ruled over all the tribes and established a house for himself in Jerusalem, making it the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. Through the prophet Nathan, God made an extraordinary promise to David regarding a Child, a Son, who would ultimately sit on David's throne forever. This knowledge is the key of David, a vital search criterion for identifying the whereabouts and identity of Israel today. Looking at the promises God made to the patriarchs and to David, their almost unimaginable scope becomes evident in relation to Israel.

The history of the House of Israel reveals a pattern of recurring disobedience and divine response. Initially founded on the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and to a lesser extent Joseph, the nation inherited both the virtues and flaws of these patriarchs. The Israelites often mirrored the mistakes of Jacob, who was later named Israel, and his sons, the progenitors of the tribes, passing down these tendencies through generations. Over 3,500 years later, descendants like those of Ephraim and Manasseh still exhibit Joseph-like traits, both positive and negative. After Joseph's death, the Israelites faced bondage in Egypt, largely forgetting God's ways, though they remembered the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and cried out for deliverance. God responded by calling Moses, redeeming His people, and leading them out of Egypt to Mount Sinai, where He established the Old Covenant, binding them to His commandments and objectives with promises of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Despite this, upon entering the Promised Land, Israel repeatedly fell into cycles of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and divine deliverance, a pattern persisting for about 800 years. By 722 BC, the Northern Kingdom, often referred to as the House of Israel, had strayed so far from God that He sent the Assyrians to conquer Samaria, taking many into exile, an exile that continues to this day. God declared through Jeremiah that backsliding Israel had committed adultery by worshiping idols on every high mountain and under every green tree, refusing to return despite His calls. Consequently, He issued a certificate of divorce, sending her away into exile as an act of separation due to her unrepentant wickedness and disloyalty, following the procedure outlined in Deuteronomy 24:1 by formally indicting her sins and expelling her from His land. Under the New Covenant, Jesus Christ focused His mission on the lost sheep of the House of Israel, instructing His disciples to prioritize them in their preaching, as seen in Matthew 10:5-7 and 15:22-24. He emphasized starting with Israel before extending the message outward, a pattern reflected in Acts 1:6-8, where He directed the apostles to begin in Jerusalem and Judea, then Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. Despite this focus, the disciples' concern remained with the physical restoration of Israel's kingdom, which Jesus redirected toward the immediate work of witnessing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prophecies and declarations before Jesus' ministry, such as those to Mary and Zacharias in Luke 1:26-33 and 1:67-75, spoke of Him reigning over the House of Jacob forever and redeeming His people, couched in Old Covenant terms familiar to them, focusing on physical Israel without reference to the intervening era of the church. In Matthew 19:27-28, Jesus promised the apostles roles in judging the twelve tribes of Israel in the regeneration, indicating the church's elevated position over physical Israel under the New Covenant, highlighting a hierarchy where the elect are prioritized in God's purpose. Finally, in the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers in Matthew 21:33-45, Jesus symbolized Israel as a vineyard leased to unfaithful leaders who rejected God's servants and His Son, leading to the kingdom being taken from them and given to a nation bearing fruit, signifying a transfer from physical Israel to the elect. Despite centuries of patience, God's divorce of Israel was warranted, yet in His grace, as noted in Jeremiah 3:12-14, He expressed willingness to take her back if she repented, a condition unfulfilled to this day, maintaining the divorce's effect.