12 Tribes 12 Apostles 12 Fates
The activities of the 12 Apostles after Acts is surrounded by legend and
speculation, so I have scoured several sources including Foxes Book of Martyrs
and a several Catholic sources and have used the ones that agree with each
other to determine where and how they met their end. Could these things give us
a clue to which Tribe of Israel they were sent to find and minister too?
·
Simon Peter – Crucified upside
down in Rome
·
Andrew – Said to have
ministered in Asia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Bithynia, Scythia and Byzantium. He
was crucified on an “X” shaped cross, some say, upside down in Rome under
Nero’s reign.
·
James son of Zebedee – Was said to have
minister in Spain and Ethiopia. He was 1st to be martyred (Acts
12:2) by the sword, by beheading.
·
John son of Zebedee – Exiled to Patmos
and was boiled alive, but miraculously he would not burn and was said to be the
only Apostle to die of natural causes in Ephesus.
·
Phillip – Ministered in
Turkey and by the Black Sea and was imprisoned, scourged, skinned alive and
crucified upside down at Hierapolis Phrygia in 54 AD
·
Bartholomew/Nathanial – Was said to have
ministered and was beaten and crucified in India, some say he was skinned
alive.
·
Thomas – Ministered in
Persia, Parthia, India and Afghanistan and was tortured, speared and thrown in
an oven in Calamina India, others say he was martyred in Malta
·
Matthew Levi – Is said to have
went to Ethipoia and minister to Candaces’ (Acts 8:27) people and was pinned to
the ground and beheaded in Nadaban (Naddayar) Ethiopia in 60 AD
·
James son of Alpheus – It is said he
took a Nazarite vow and was killed by Jews.
·
Judah/Thaddeus/Lebbaeus – and was said to
traveled and ministered often with Simon the Zealot and was crucified in 72 AD
in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Edessa.
·
Simon the Zealot of
Canaan – Ministered all over North, East and West Africa as well as
Persia, Iberia and even Britain (Lincolnshire) where he was supposedly sawed in
half there. Some sources say he was crucified and buried in Africa.
·
Matthias – It is said he
ministered in Ethiopia by the Sea of Hyssus (Black Sea) by the River Phasis
(Near Turkey) and was stoned and beheaded in Jerusalem.
·
Saul/Paul – The Apostle to
the Gentiles, the 70 nations, the assimilated 10 Lost Tribes. His missionary
journey is well documented in the book of Acts and was beheaded in 66 AD under
Nero’s reign.
All Apostles besides John the Revelator (son of Zebedee) is recorded to
have died as a martyr. Although legend has it martyrdom was attempted on his life;
being boiled alive, but miraculously despite the oil boiling around him this
flesh would not burn so they exiled him to the Isle of Patmos where he received
his revelation.
Let us try and piece together the legend of these Apostles ministry and
their deaths and see if the Tribes they were supposedly assigned to line up
according to British Israelite and Black Hebrew scholars among other sources
including religious and secular.
·
Simon Peter – Judah (Indeed he was considered
the Apostle to the Jews and Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles) – It was clear he
reached out to Jews in Israel and in Rome.
·
Andrew – Issachar – The tribe is said to
have finally settled in Switzerland and Finland and were likely in the areas
Andrews is said to have been in their migration to Switzerland and Finland.
·
James son of Zebedee – Zebulun – There are legends that
state a portion of Zebulun did flee to Africa and possibly Spain along with Gad
and Judah.
·
John son of Zebedee – Dan and Reuben – Dan and Reuben
was said to have finally settled in parts of Africa/Denmark/Europe and
France/Germany respectively and it is conceivable John did minister to Danites
and Reubenites.
·
Phillip – Asher and Simeon – Phillip being
called a warrior was fit to minister to Simeon which was prophesied to be
scattered with his brother Levi due to their hastiness with the sword against
Shechem. Asher was said to have ended up in Northern Europe and various parts
of Africa. If this be correct it is not as stretch to think Phillip ran into
Asherites and Simeonites in the places where he is said to have ministered.
·
Bartholomew/Nathanial – Naphtali and Gad – Naphtali and
Gad was said to have split and part of them ended up in West Africa and another
part of these two tribes went to Norway/Sweden and Germany/Sweden respectively.
We do not know all of Bartholomew/Nathanial’s ministerial travels and it is conceivable
that he ministered in other places than just India thus running into those from
Naphtali and Gad.
·
Thomas – Benjamin and Ephraim – The
Pathans in and around the area of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India is said to
contain a portion of every tribe of Israel (most of which are Muslims today)
and this fits to where Thomas was said to have been ministering.
·
Matthew Levi – Manasseh – many African tribes
are said to be sons of Manasseh, so it may be true Matthew did minister to
Africans who were descendants of Manasseh.
·
James son of Alpheus – Ephraim and Benjamin – Little is
known where this James traveled and ministered, but seeing as Benjamin was
scattered among the Jews and James supposedly died at the hands of the Jews, it
is probable James did minister to Benjamites. Not knowing much of his travels
we can only speculate where he may have gone in order to minister to Ephraim.
·
Judas(Judah)/Thaddeus/Lebbaeus – Gad and Dan – A portion of both
Gad and Dan ended in up in African countries, especially in the West and if he
did travel with Simon the Zealot of Canaan, it is highly probable that this
Apostle did minister to Danites and Gadites.
·
Simon the Zealot of
Canaan – Simeon and Asher
– Again, Simeon being scattered everywhere and legends about of Asherites making
it to various parts of Africa Simon probably did minister unto the tribes of
Simeon and Asher. If Simon was a Black Hebrew, it would make sense that Yeshua
would send him to people that closely resembled his appearance.
·
Matthias – Reuben and Naphtali – It is not
clear whether portions of Reuben made it to Africa, but there are African
tribes who claim to be descended from Naphtali, so Matthias likely did minister
to Naphtalites. Reuben was said rather to have settled in France and Germany by
way of the Black Sea and Naphtali to Norway by way of the Black Sea.
·
Saul/Paul – Gentiles 70 Nations Assimilated 12 Tribes
– True, Paul traveled where many Gentiles lived as well as were Jews and
Hebrews of the Lost 10 Tribes lived in the Diaspora.
We have to keep in mind that the Apostles caught these tribes in sort of
a mid-migratory state, and were on their way to be where they are today. True,
much of this evidence is speculator and circumstantial, but we know that all
legends, like a pearl are based on a grain of truth. Perhaps in the future we
may be able to regain documentation confiscated and locked away by the Roman
Catholic Church or confirm and or debunk information found in Apocryphal and
Pseudopigraphal literature. But the
information we do have at hand seems to indicate that the 12 Apostles were sent
to and did minister unto all the 12 tribes of Israel.
12 Tribes 12 Apostles 2 Sticks 1 Staff: Concluding Thoughts
I would like to mention again Yeshua’s words regarding the 12 Tribes and
12 Apostles:
And Jesus said unto
them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also
shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel. – Matt. 19:28
That ye may eat and
drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel. – Luke 22:30
12 Apostles to Rule 12 Tribes.
But as you have seen, I have given two possible methods, both with equal
merit in determining which Apostles is to be over which Tribes. Regardless,
each Apostle will have authority over at least 1 Tribe, and I have no problem
with an Apostle having a shared authority over 2 Tribes. It’s like a classroom
with a teacher; one teacher for one class. But if the teacher in authority over
the a class leaves the classroom and another teacher (a colleague of the other teacher
not a substitute) comes to temporarily take over, teach or watch over the
class, that teacher has the same authority as the first who had to leave. So in
similar fashion I see no problem with Apostles sharing authority over more than
one Tribe.
Today Believers in Yeshua the Messiah, many discovering they are of
Judah, Levi and other Tribes of Israel have taken up the Apostolic mantle and
are fervently “fishing” and “hunting” for, finding and ministering to the “12
tribes” that has been “scattered abroad.” We are living in a day when prophecy
is being fulfilled right before our very eyes!
I for one have discovered Judean and Gadite linage in my family and am
currently involved in ministering to the Igbo people of Nigeria who have been
found to be descendants of Gad’s sons Eri, Areli and Arodi. It has also been
found that portions of Levi, Judah, Zebulun and other tribes are among the Igbo
as well.
I have written a book containing the proofs of the Igbo’s linage in Gad
entitled, “Finding Gad: The Quest for the Lost Tribe of Gad” which can be
purchased at: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/raybash
I am currently working on a second book outlining in greater detail the
Igbos tribal affiliations with the 12 tribes and their cultural exactitudes.
You can also find out about the Gadites of Nigeria by going to my
website: www.abrahamsdescendants.com and click on the
“Tribe of Gad” tabs and sub-tabs as well as visiting www.igbofriendsofisrael.com
Thus
saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it
shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the
nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We
will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. – Zech. 8:23
This prophetic passage hints about the Jewish Apostles sent to the sent
to the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel and each Lost Tribe Finding an Apostle,
grabbing his Tzitzit and Begging to be brought back to Torah.
Israel
is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no
pleasure. – Hosea 8:8
This passage complements Zech. 8:23 in that it hints about how the 10 Tribes
will attach themselves to Judah and return to the Faith after they have settled
among or have become assimilated with the Gentile Nations and wake up to who
they really are.
We know Messiah will soon be returning and He will return for a full,
complete and spotless Bride and this fills me with hope that all the Lost
Tribes will be soon be found so the Bride can be complete and the Two Houses of
Israel will be reunited again as prophesied by Ezekiel 37.
It is my
sincere prayer that the reader was edified and enlightened on truths contained
in this book that have been hidden and obscured for nearly 2000 years, and that
this has caused a desire for the reader to walk in the Light of Truth, in the
footsteps of Yeshua the Messiah, by walking the Torah daily as He did and
taught us to do and this will cause us a have a yearning and a boldness to
reach the 12 and the 70.
